


Office Shenanigans

by odat



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Desk Sex, Domestic Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-26
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 05:18:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 24,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/858237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/odat/pseuds/odat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a million and ten fuck you degrees out and the dress code is still being enforced. He's gonna melt. In which Soul might have a crush on his coworker who looks pretty damn hot in a pencil skirt and is kind of a nerd.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hot Shenanigans

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Fabulousanima, aka Twin-Lupus, as the prompt "office or summer" and I combined the two. There will be more office shenanigans, I promise.

The air conditioning was broken. Full on broken. Like might never work again unless they demolished the building and rebuilt it with working AC. The office felt like a swamp crossed with a linebacker's armpit, the elevator was being used as a sauna, and the bathrooms? No. One did not speak of the bathrooms right now.

And because their boss was an OCD prick and found the "symmetry of business suits acceptable," the dress code was still in place. Meaning no shorts. Or tshirts. And  _ties were still required for men_. Soul had never been more jealous of his business partner's gender in his life. He was dying in his pants, had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and his god forsaken tie. Maka on the other hand was in her smart little summer pencil skirt (that did wonderful things to her ass, hot damn) and a light weight blouse that did not appear to be drenched in sweat unlike his undershirt. And button up shirt. And his general self.

"I hate heat." He groaned.

"This is rather unpleasant." Maka commented, Soul scowled at her from where his head was resting on the lukewarm surface of his desk.

"You're at least in a skirt. I might melt 'cause of these damn pants."

"Didn't know you were considering cross-dressing, Soul. Liz can take you shopping."

He groaned and moved his cheek to another part of his desk, "It's too hot to think."

"Just because you're brain was already mush before this heatwave melted it doesn't mean—"

"Do you have a witty comeback for everything I say?"

"It isn't hard, Soul." She flipped the page in the report she was reading and didn't even spare him a glance.

The day only got hotter as it wore entire office was sluggish and by noon even Maka was showing signs that the heat was getting to her.

"Here, bought you a cold water while I was on lunch break. Closest vendor that still had cold bottles was three blocks down the street." Soul tossed the bottle to her and smirked when her face lit up. The water bubbler had been empty since sometime yesterday and none of the drinks in the staff room were cold. He'd been tempted to drink it himself, but was really glad that he didn't cause Maka was kinda really cute when she was happy.

Soul was pleased with himself, right up until she moaned and gulped down over half the bottle without taking a breath. Who the fuck was that excited about water!? Yeah it was cold! But seriously? He shifted in his seat, great, now he was hot and bothered and hot. For his partner. Not that it was new. They'd been dancing around their mutual attraction since they'd met two years ago. Least he'd been dancing, Soul was never quite sure with Maka. Sometimes she was he thought, she was flirty and at the last company party they'd come dangerously close to making out. And then other times she was her prudish self and bashing him over the head with one of her law books any time he stepped out of line. Which was frequently. But still, the books hurt. A lot.

"Ok, fine, yes. This heat is nearly unbearable." Maka slouched back in her chair and then regretted it immediately when her blouse stuck to her back.

Soul glanced up from where he was trying to not drip on his keyboard, "Only nearly?"

"Fine: completely."

"God, I've got AC back at my place and cold beer in the fridge. Couple hours from now, I'll be sitting there in my living room, in my boxers, catching up on Game of Thrones, and livin' the fuckin' life."

Maka glanced at him, even with sweat trickling down his temples and his shirt all rumpled, Soul managed to be far too attractive for his own good. Maybe the heat really was getting to her, because she did not, under any circumstance, mean to mumble aloud, "That sounds fantastic."

Talking with Soul was always a game, if she said something the wrong way, he'd turn it into something flirty or perverted, "You're welcome to join me." He even waggled his eyebrows. Maka snorted despite herself, he looked ridiculous.

"Careful, I might take you up on that offer, all I've got is some cheese that I think was milk last week and some oranges."

He stared at her, aghast. "Yeah. Fuck no. If we make it through the day without melting, you're coming over. You've seen Game of Thrones, right?"

"I- well, no?"

Soul blinked. Once, then again, and again. "Get your coat, we're leaving early. It's too hot to work, we're ahead of schedule, cause  _someone has been staying later than she should_ , and we have like a solid 48 hours of Game of Thrones to watch." He stood, stacked his papers and pointed at her, "Argue with me on this and I will carry you out of here kicking and screaming over my shoulder."

She nodded, tidied her work area as well and didn't say anything. Maka was well aware that Soul was not actually kidding, he was more than capable of carrying her, however he wished, as he had had to do when a former client had insulted not only her, but him as well. That had been a bad day for the most part, at least Soul counted it as a success, Maka hadn't punched anyone and the merger had gone beautifully.

"Wait, does this include you in your boxers?" She asked belatedly as they walked down the hall together.

Soul had the audacity to waggle his eyebrows at her again, "It can if you want it to."


	2. Couch Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for season three of Game of Thrones

"Soul? Hey uuh-"

"Maka it's like," He blinked at the alarm clock next to his bed until the numbers made sense, "It's two in the morning."

"I know, sorry, I shouldn't have and just-"

"Are you crying!? Maka what's wrong?" Soul sat bolt upright with his phone cradled between his shoulder and head while he scrambled for more to wear than just his boxers. "Where are you? I'll come get you, just give me-"

"No, no Soul, I'm fine, kind of, I just…I watched the Red Wedding." Her voice wavered and Soul stopped dead.

"You- you what!?"

"And Mama Stark! Soul!" Maka was crying and she didn't even care. "And Arya was there! She saw everything!"

"Maka. Maka calm down, you're safe right?" There was a sniffle that he took as a yes and Soul let himself relax. They hadn't been talking much outside of work recently, a disagreement about who they thought belonged on the iron throne had them glaring daggers at each other for the last few days.

"Could, could I please…can I come over?" Between the static over the phone and how quiet she was he almost missed it.

"Wha- I mean yeah. Sure thing."

"See you in fifteen."

* * *

The knock at the door startled him back awake from where he was sitting on the couch. Soul'd thrown on an old white undershirt but hadn't bothered with sleeping pants. Maka could deal with his boxers, though he had a feeling she wouldn't care much at all after seeing that episode.

She was standing there when Soul opened the door, in her slippers wither her coat thrown on over a pink tank top and a pair boxers with a bone pattern on them. Her eyes were still red and her face crumpled as fresh tears began to spill over. He sighed and pulled her against his chest as she began to sob about the Starks and terrible books and everyone she ever loved dying.

Soul guided them to the couch where Maka curled up almost completely in his lap and clutching at his shirt. "Thought we were going to watch that episode together, you dork. I warned you."

"But I was mad at you! And I just kept watching and I didn't realize and then the song and-"

"Yeah yeah, I know kid. Just get it all out."

"AND ARYA SAW IT ALL!"

"I warned you to wait and watch it with me."

"I didn't know! Soul!" Maka continued to cry against him for the better part of an hour. She'd always been a Stark sympathizer and Soul had known that it was going to kill her. He held his coworker close, because they weren't dating and he didn't really know what to call her these days.

Ever since that horribly hot day they'd left work early they had been spending more time together outside of work that at work. And they spent a lot of time together at work. They'd watched almost all of the Game of Throne series together, then at Maka's insistence they watched Firefly to which Soul countered with Cowboy Bebop. It had become a game to introduce each other to new shows that they could geek out over. Game of Thrones remained to be their go to series though.

Hence why he was kind of ok attempting to comfort a near hysterical Maka at almost three in the morning on a Tuesday. Well, Wednesday technically. Work was going to suck today.

"You ok?"

"Do I have to be?" Maka asked, she had finally calmed down enough to realize how absurd the entire situation was. But he was really warm and it was way past when she usually went to bed. Plus after the emotion turmoil and all the crying she was completely exhausted.

"Yeah you kinda do, there's another episode left and then we get to wait for the next season."

"I hate this show." Her voice was muffled by his shirt and sleep and Soul didn't bother to hide his yawn. He squeezed her shoulder and pulled down one of the blankets that Maka had bought for his couch to cover them. She always complained about cold toes in his apartment.

* * *

They fell over from how they'd fallen asleep and woke up actually lying together on the couch instead of Maka just mostly in Soul's lap while they sat on the couch. The just mostly was an important detail for Maka, because if she wasn't entirely in his lap it wasn't inappropriate. Their current position though was entirely inappropriate. Her hair felt damp, which meant he had drooled on her, again, and his morning wood was pressed against her stomach. But to be fair, one of her hands was under his shirt and clutching at his back while she had a sinking feeling that as soon as she could feel her other hand it would be tangled in his hair.

Another morning where they'd wake up, blush, and not talk about it. Not all that new really. Maka sighed and began to detach herself from Soul before rolling off the couch and onto the floor. He grunted and squinted at her while she walked away. Those boxers really did look familiar, hell he was missing a pair just like them…oh. Soul groaned and shoved his face further into the couch, least her ass looked good in them.

The sound of the coffee grinder forced him off the couch, they never said much before coffee, couldn't really, words were hard without caffeine. By the time he'd shuffled into the kitchen the coffee maker was gurgling and Maka was glaring at it trying to make it brew faster. Soul chuckled and got two mugs for them, one of his boring blue ones for him and Maka's HBIC mug. He still wasn't sure how it ended up at his place.

As soon as there was enough coffee for two cups Maka filled their mugs and handed his back with a strange look. Oh, it wasn't one of the plain blue ones, it was his "World's Coolest Dad" mug. Maka quirked and eyebrow and he shrugged while sipping at the perfect, life giving, deliciously hot, black coffee. He didn't have kids yet, his older brother was just a dick with a bad sense of humor. Soul didn't doubt that he'd get shit for it later when she was actually awake

Maka raided his fridge for the half and half he kept around just for her. Soon as her coffee was the proper shade of "way too much milk, you should have just steamed it and had an au lait 'cause now all you've got is lukewarm milky coffee" and she could see straight Maka blinked at the clock on his stove and went rigid.

"We're LATE."

"Yeah kinda what happens when you-"

"I still have to get clothing! And my stuff! Fuck! Why didn't you wake me up?" Maka began a frantic scramble while Soul just took another sip of his coffee.

"We're late either way. I still have that blue suit, yes it's dry cleaned, from whenever the fuck you left it here, you can do without your briefcase for a day, you know it's a light day don't even argue with me." Soul finished with a poignant look over the top of his mug.

"But we're late! I'm going to take a quick shower, how long do you need to be ready to go?"

"You know, we could save some time and water if we showered together." He grinned at her and thanked whatever gods existed that she was holding her favorite mug because he was pretty sure she would have thrown any other mug at him in a heartbeat.

Yup, mornings with Maka were always entertaining and he hadn't even worked up the gall to kiss her yet.


	3. Bike Shenanigans

He'd had a doctor's appointment and had left the office early with the promise to swing by and pick her up, they were having yet another movie night and he was impatient to make her watch some stupid movie that he had been raving about for a week.

"No, Maka, it won't be a problem, I get out around the same time you like to leave work," the unspoken  _an hour after everyone else, geeeez woman could you work yourself anymore?_ was clear, "I'll give you a ride." He'd grinned when she huffed and rolled her eyes.

At 6:37 she got a text from him, "front door, ready when you are." Well, she commended him for being on time, Soul Evans wasn't exactly known for being punctual. It wasn't even that he liked to arrive fashionably late, he arrived when it was  _cool_. Mostly her coworker was just a dork.

It took a few minutes to shut her computer off and organize her desk but it was good to clear her thoughts. She and Soul had always worked well together, despite how rocky the first few months were. She was technically on loan from the company's law department and had been tasked with working with Marketing. Soul Evans was assigned as her partner to help with the transition. They'd been given a small cubical together and eventually agreed to work together if only to prove that they deserved an actual office. Plus their office warfare games, while highly entertaining, usually ended in at least one florescent light broken and another coworker, Black Star on most occasions, shirtless.

Within a year they were moved into a gorgeous office with floor to ceiling windows and a nice view of the city. She had bookshelves for all her law textbooks and philosophy books. He finally had room to pace and a white board to draw on. Mostly though they had two beautiful desks that they'd pushed together in the center of the room to form a large square work surface. They sat facing each other which made witty banter easier, though they claimed that it was for the sake of sharing documents more easily. Their next goal was a top floor corner office; they were well on their way there.

Maka sent a quick letting him know she was coming down, packed her bag, and headed to the elevator. Few people were still in the office at this hour so she was able to get to the lobby without too many stops. She didn't bother with the revolving doors but when she walked onto the street she didn't see Soul. They usually ended up taking the bus to his place or the subway to hers, Maka wasn't exactly sure what Soul was picking her up with.

"Oi! Brainiac! Over here!" It took a moment for her to understand that yes, that motorcyclist was talking to her, and that yes, that motorcyclist was in fact, Soul.

How Maka had managed to know the man for two years and somehow miss that he drove a monstrous, hideous,  _orange_  motorcycle was beyond her. "Might wanna close your mouth, gonna start catching flies."

Maka snapped her jaw shut and stared at him, "You drive that!?"

He had the gall to look proud about it, "Hell yeah I drive this!" Soul even patted the bike fondly for good measure. "What did you think I was talking about a bicycle when I talked about my bike?"

"No, I mostly just tuned you out." Maka had become a little distracted by the way his leather jacket fit across his shoulders. She'd seen it in his apartment, she was there often enough, she'd seen most of his clothing on his bedroom floor at some point along with his entire collection of ties.

Soul rolled his eyes and offered her the spare helmet, "Come on, movie night!"

It finally dawned on her that Soul expected her to get on the thing. And that he was going to drive it. Through the city. She could practically feel the blood drain from her face.

"Aw, come on, the great and powerful, Miss Albarn isn't afraid of a bike is she?" Soul watched as she bristled and squared her shoulders.

"No! Of- of course not. I'm just, in a skirt! And it'll ride up!" She was fishing for excuses and they both knew it. "Plus those things aren't safe, it's a wonder you aren't already dead."

"Naw, you'll be fine, promise, Maka. Won't even speed." Soul offered his most reassuring grin, "I've got a bottle of nice red wine back at my place."

Maka caved, she was a sucker for good reds. "Give me that. And I swear to god, if you so much as-"

"Yeah yeah, you can sue my ass in hell." Soul jumped onto his bike and then helped Maka on, as she'd figured, her skirt rode up to her thighs.

"Nice panties by the way."

"I will kill you. Violently. Now drive." Maka buried her head into his back as much as she could with the helmet on and held on tight as then went home. No, scratch that, not home, his place. Not home! (It was totally home.)

 


	4. Party Shenanigans

AN: Part four of office shenanigans!

* * *

Black tie, gowns, not dresses (Maka had actually hit him for calling it a dress), and teeny tiny portions of food that wasn't even that good.

Fancy corporate parties  **sucked**.

Soul took another sip of his vodka on the rocks, the one thing that kept parties like these were the really high end open bars. He'd been schmoozing, trying to secure a new project and possibly more funding for one of his side projects when he saw Maka playing with one of her earrings across the room.

"If you'll excuse me, gentlemen." Soul flashed a grin, promised they'd be talking again soon (as soon as everyone's hangover wore off) and strolled across the ballroom floor. He snagged a glass of champagne from one of the servers and managed to avoid getting pulled into another circle of business talk.

Maka was nodding along politely while three large men around her guffawed, probably at some golf joke. "Evening gentlemen! Mind if I steal Miss Albarn for a few moments, I'm debating ethics with Mr. Goldstein and I need some back up." She rolled her eyes, muttered something halfway insulting, and took the offered champagne so she could place her free hand in the crook of his elbow while he led her away.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Franks had already told the same joke twice and Mr. Bera was insisting I call him  _Tommy_." Maka punctuated her displeasure with a long sip of her champagne. "Can we go hide yet?"

Soul snorted while steering them away from the particularly chatty circles and to a quiet spot by one of the large windows. "No, I still have to go back and finish talking to the Sherman Group, they want me to do yet another project for them."

"I'll be writing the contract for that this time, their lawyers owned you for almost two months because of that one clause." She snorted delicately and finished off the champagne that was left in her glass. It had been a frantic two months; Soul had practically been working two full time and very demanding jobs and planning a charity function with her. Instead of movie nights and red wine they had take out Chinese and diet Coke while working late into the night together. Maka wasn't particularly good at the artistic part of Soul's job, but she was good at listening and bouncing ideas back to him.

Soul nodded and drained his drink as well before putting it on the high table next to hers. "That's what I was trying to tell them." There was a slight tugging at his neck and he glanced down but he couldn't see past the simple French twist in Maka's hair. "Are you finally going to choke me to death with my own tie? Cause I would have thought you'd have done it last week when I spilled coffee on your book."

"Your tie is crooked." Her voice was soft and he could feel her breath against the skin of his neck that his red dress shirt didn't cover. Soul rested his hands lightly on her waist, his fingers just brushing the bare skin of her back that the halter top exposed. She smoothed it down his chest and adjusted his tie clip before looking up at him. He hadn't seen the heels she was wearing, the gown went all the way to the floor, but they had to be high as she was almost eye level with him. Her eyes were brought out by the deep green of her dress, he'd though it was black until the silk caught the light, and whatever make up she did have on was natural enough that it just accent how beautiful she was.

They were too close and how hard had that vodka hit him? His mouth felt dry and he desperately wanted his teeth to be biting her lips instead of her own. Was he leaning down? Was she reaching up? Was this—

There was a hot pink blur coming right towards them. Soul swore when he saw it out of the corner of his eye; Maka could almost taste the vodka he'd had on her lips. Leaving one hand on her waist, he took her hand and quickly pulled her into the crowd of dancing couples. He was still swearing under his breath when he twirled her and Maka saw what had startled him: Gloria Royce.

She sighed and tried to concentrate on not stepping on Soul's toes. He'd taught her to dance in his apartment a few months ago after they'd both had too much wine (way too much wine, they had then spent their Saturday hungover and watching children's cartoons on his TV) and she'd been barefoot for that lesson. The subsequent lessons, sometimes during their lunch break or at his apartment, had involved heels and Soul gritting his teeth so hard she could hear it when she had stepped on his toes. "I really don't want to have to save you from her again. Because if she cuts in, I won't be able to cut back in."

"Yeah, why do you think I'm getting us as far away from her as possible?" Soul's voice was low enough to send shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with the long gold clasp that hung down to her shoulder blades. Just like when Soul had noticed her playing with her earring, her distress signal, if she saw him rubbing the back of his neck she would rescue him. It was a system they had developed shortly after their first formal event as partners: some of the older businessmen enjoyed talking to Maka a little bit too much sometimes (or they were just terribly boring) and some of the corporate wives (who were not known for their fidelity) found Soul just a little too charming for his own good.

Gloria Royce fell into that category. She'd made it a mission at each function to hang off Soul's arm while trying to shove his face into her very ample, and very fake, cleavage. Her fuschia (if Maka was feeling kind and not calling it dreadful  _out-of-the-crayon-box_  pink dress) gown made her very easy to spot, especially when she'd been trying to drown Soul in liquor earlier that evening. He had already needed saving from her twice and that wasn't even including the three other occasions she'd had to drag him away from other bored trophy wives.

"Maka, relax, you're doing fine."

"I will step on you just out of spite." She hissed as they narrowly avoided colliding with a very drunk couple. "I think we lost her, you can stop dragging me around now."

"Maybe I just like dancing with you?" Soul offered as he pulled her closer, Maka was very pointedly not looking at him.

"Oh come off it, you can't stand dancing, let alone trying to dance with my two left feet. Oh, perfect, clients I have to go greet." She realized she was being snippy with him, maybe it was time for some more champagne, but it was the most effective way to cover her disappointment. For something that wasn't supposed to happen. And that hadn't even happened! Yeah, time for more champagne. Or maybe a scotch. Maka slipped out of Soul's hands before he could refute that no, she was actually one of the few women he truly enjoyed dancing with.

The party went smoothly from there on out, as laughter became more raucous, conversations became louder, and the golf jokes got worse as more booze was served. The CEO gave Soul a slap on the back and asked him to give Maka his regards, and there was even a mention of bonuses. Maka materialized by his side a while later and clinked yet another champagne flute against his tumbler of vodka.

"You about ready to bail?" He asked quietly. She nodded and took a delicate sip, he really wished he had just kissed her when they were by the window. "How do you feel about burgers?"

"Only if you get me a," a hiccup took her by surprise and she covered her mouth with her fingers, "strawberry milkshake. Let's go, I ran out of polite like an hour ago."

Soul resisted snickering and offered her his arm after taking her drink and putting it on a table. She was really cute, but also more likely to punch him if she really had run out of polite as she said. It had cooled off considerably since the party had started and the oversized gold scarf? shawl? thing that Maka had brought was woefully inadequate. Soul shrugged off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders, he didn't really need it and the smile she shot him was totally worth it.

They took a cab to the late night burger joint near his place, got their food and started walked the two blocks back to the apartment. Maka rolled her eyes when Soul shrugged at his door, his hands were full of food and the best shakes ever, and shoved her hand into his pocket to fish out his keys. Once they were in the door Maka's heels came off and she cracked her toes.

"Gonna change." She draped his coat over the back of a chair and then hesitated. "Could...could you unzip me?"

Soul tried not to groan, "Gonna cost you some strawberry milkshake."

"Fine. Now help me out of this stupid thing." She turned to him gesturing at the side zipper that helped the dress form to her waist. She held the fabric against her breast so she wouldn't flash him, while his fingers worked the zipper down. Oh that wasn't fair, it was a long, long zipper and was that black lace?!

"Done." His voice was gruff and Soul forced himself to step back from her. Maka squeaked a thank you (his knuckles brushing down her side had felt really nice) and retreated to his bedroom to steal a pair of boxers and a sweatshirt from him. She slipped the rest of the way out of the dress, put it on the hanger she took his navy blue sweatshirt off and then raided his boxer drawer to cover her panties. Ha! Her favorite pair with the neon bicycles was clean!

Maka came back into the living room with Soul frustratedly munching fries (she wasn't really sure how he was  _frustratedly_  on munching on fries, but he was) sitting on the couch, feet up on his messy coffee table with his shirt untucked and tie no where to be found. She ran her hand through her hair until the hair spray was gone and joined him on the couch in her usual spot. "You didn't drink all of my shake did you?"

He shook his head, mouth full of fries and handed her burger too her. "Real food!" Soul chuckled at her and took a long drink of his chocolate shake while he watched her devour the burger. She looked a lot more relaxed sitting on his couch in her...no his clothes.

"Wait, oh my god Maka you thief. I know you have clothing here, why do you keep stealing mine!?" He groaned and pointed a fry at her accusingly. She at least had the decency to blush. "No, gimmie those back, I haven't even had a chance to wear them yet."

Maka just stuck her tongue out at him traded her burger for a few fries. "Mine now." Soul frowned and then grinned. Maka started to panic. "No, no, Soul whatever you're thinking stop!" He put his shake down, his fingers were nice and cold, and pulled one of her ankles out from under her. Maka screeched when his cold fingers grasped the sensitive skin on the inside of her leg and began to laugh helplessly when he pulled her towards him.

Soul let his fingers warm up against the backs if her knees while she squirmed and giggled (and almost kicked him in the head) and then danced them up the backs of her thighs. God her legs were smooth. He tugged at the edge of the boxers playfully and Maka scrambled to get away from him, which only dragged the boxers down farther. "No! Soul, stoooooop!"

He gave them a hard tug and could feel them pull down over the curve of her ass. "Nope, these are my favorites, and I wanted to wear them."

"No, Soul come on, I'm in a thong, Soul!" She tried to tug them back up but she was laughing too hard and couldn't get a grasp on the waistband.

"Yeah, see? Don't care, my boxers." Soul gave them on final tug and got them down to her knees. Oh god she hadn't been joking, that black lace he'd seen was in fact a thong. Ah well, it wasn't the first time he'd seen her in her underwear and it wasn't going to be the last ( _but holyfuckingshit black lace?! goddamnit he was going to die!_ ). Soul tried to play it off with a smirk, but he could feel his face heat up and Maka was bright red as well.

"Jerk." She wiggled the rest of the way out of his boxers and pulled the sweatshirt down to cover herself, "See if I rescue next time  _Gloria_  gets her hands on you." It wasn't that being in her underwear in front of Soul made her uncomfortable (though it kind of bothered her that she was _that comfortable_  around him) mostly she just wished he'd stop teasing and just fucking take her panties off and eat her out.

Maka shuddered, just how much had she had to drink?! She was usually so much better at not thinking about just how much she wanted her coworker. Soul threw the boxers and laughed when they landed on his suit jacket, stole a sip from her strawberry milkshake and started to channel surf. They spent the rest of the evening mocking late night reruns and commercials until Maka started to nod off against his shoulder.

"Come on, bed time." Soul jostled her and smiled when she groaned and tried to hide against him. "You want the- oh. Hey, where ya going?" He followed her as she got up from the couch and wandered around his living room for a moment before heading into the bedroom and collapsing on her side of the bed. She burrowed into the blanket and blinked at him blearily. It wasn't very often that tired-kitten-face-Maka happened but she was fucking precious when it did.

It didn't take very long to take his shirt and dress pants off and climb into bed with her. They'd shared his bed often enough that she had her side and he had his side and they didn't end up spooning (usually). Soul typically offered to take the couch if she was sleeping over but Maka had insisted that she didn't want to displace him from his own bed, so out of sheer stubbornness they both slept in it (they had actually both tried to sleep on the couch first but that had ended terribly so they gave up and moved to the bed).

"T'anks Soul, was fun." He was surprised she was still awake enough to talk and even more so when she turned over to snuggle against him, huh, less awake than he thought.

"Welcome." In a moment of weakness that he'd blame on being tired and how much he'd had to drink, he kissed her forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull Maka, his coworker/not-girlfriend/partner/possible love of his life, closer.

Good thing they had tomorrow off to  _not talk about any of this._


	5. Domestic Shenanigans

Soul had a thing about not eating his lunch at his desk. It wasn't the crumbs, he just insisted it wasn't good to eat where you worked, and at least twice a week would drag Maka away from her desk even if it was just to go sit by the windows on another floor or in the break room. They both usually brought their lunches, balanced sandwiches or salads for Maka and Soul brought the leftovers from whatever he cooked for dinner the night before.

As she spent more time as his place and took to staying the night, he would package up two servings if there was enough for them to have, and he always kept his fridge well stocked with sandwich makings for her. They had taken to grocery shopping together; it made it more fun and they were usually together anyway. Maka had learned where he kept everything ages ago (for some reason, he liked to squirrel away things like cereal or crackers; he blamed it on having an older brother).

He'd bought her favorite brand of shampoo and conditioner and had put it in the shower without a word a while back. She still used his deodorant most days because neither of them for their lives could remember to get her some of her own (it wasn't that big a deal, it smelled clean). Neither of them said anything when she threw  _feminine hygiene_  products in the cart either.

They did their dry cleaning together too, because it saved on trying to remember to pick it up each week. The nice old Russian babushka, who charged them a different price every time for the same amount clothing, assumed they were married. But then, most of the office and the world did too. Unless it was a coworker or even remotely related to business, they had given up trying to correct them.

Laundry was another shared chore, as well as taking out the trash. Soul eventually got over it and was hardly even flustered by her underwear (the few pieces of lingerie were another story). He did notice that he went through boxers a lot faster when Maka stayed over though. But it never failed to crack him up when she came sliding out on the hardwood floor from his room in a white button down, a pair of boxers, and a pair of his socks with his sunglasses on. She couldn't dance worth a damn and it was that much cuter.

If the TV wasn't on, Soul liked to have music playing; old jazz, alternative rock, and occasionally weird Icelandic music (that he liked for some reason). It was never very loud (unless he really liked the song) and Maka slowly grew used to the constant background noise, as when she was on her own, she really only listened to music while exercising.

She'd shown up on his doorstep once with her arms full of plants. "They're dying at my place because I'm hardly ever there anymore. Could I keep them here?" Soul had moved aside to let her in with a baffled look. Most of her " _babies,_ " as she called them, had useful leaves: herbs to have in the kitchen (the fresh basil made fantastic pesto), an aloe plant for burns (she sunburned easily), and mint (that Maka liked to pop into her mouth whenever she passed it). She did have one incredibly girly flowering _thing_  that she called a begonia (she was very proud of it) and she said that its color was  _white dragone blush_. Because that was apparently a color. Soul had sighed and let her put it on her nightstand next to her phone charger.

The apartment felt a little too big and quiet when she wasn't around. He'd always liked having his own space, but Soul realized while sitting alone on the couch one night that he liked Maka in his space even more. Maka stood in front of her apartment that night trying to remember which way to turn her key to unlock the door. She wondered why she even kept her apartment; it hardly felt like home, it didn't smell right, and it was too quiet. It wasn't very often that she stopped by, because most of her books were at her office, most of her clothing was at Soul's (including all of her underwear), and the most edible thing in her kitchen were some Pop-tarts that may have actually gone stale they were so old.

It didn't feel right to simply get rid of her apartment. That would be too much like moving in with him, and while she rationalized that she already was living with him, it felt different to say she had  _moved in_  with him. But when she lay down in her own bed, it felt like she was trying to sleep in a hotel. It was cold, it didn't smell right, and Maka was horrified to realize she missed having Soul next to her.

They weren't awkward at work, they did their jobs, got everything done that they could, and had fun while doing it. They teased each other constantly, but they were always careful not to be overheard. They had the perfect professional ruse, for the most part. The ease with which they worked, how they effortlessly understood each other without words, and their familiarity with each other had many of their clients asking how long they had been married. The first time it had happened after working together for almost six months, Soul had choked on the seltzer water he was drinking and Maka had to sit down; they still weren't sure if it was because she was trying to contain her laughter or she was going to faint. As it happened more frequently, they dealt with it much better; sighing and insisting that no, they were  _just business partners. Nothing more._

From a perfectly rational standpoint, Maka thought, being something more with Soul really wouldn't be so awful. It'd save them both on rent and  ** _stress relief_**  would be so much easier. Horrified by her own train of thought, Maka groaned into her pillow and tried to sleep without the comfort and warmth of her _not-boyfriend._

She didn't sleep at all well (neither did Soul).


	6. Airport Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So I put out the question on tumblr, would you prefer this story in a linear progression? Or out of order with an indicator of where they are in their relationship? Overwhelmingly, people said out of order.
> 
> But, enjoy some Airport Shenanigans

He had given up waiting in the cell phone lot and parked his car in the short term garage. Her plane had been delayed because of mechanical issues. And then again because of a storm. And now he didn't know what the hold up was.

Soul was jittery, sleep deprived, and stressed. He was also elated. After three weeks of hell, Maka was finally coming home.

There were other people waiting in the international terminal and Soul gave up the seat he'd been sitting in to a little old lady who said she was picking up her grandson. He checked his phone and tried to stop fidgeting. Checked his phone again. An announcement came on that baggage could be picked up from carousel number three. Maka had only packed a carry on, she was a light traveler and was only supposed to be gone for a five days. Checked his phone again, a minute hadn't even passed. Shit had hit the fan though and so she stayed for a few more days. And then a week. And then another week.

Soul went to look at his phone but the old lady in his seat shook her head and smiled at him. He tried to grin back but it felt fake. The thirteen hour time difference had royally **sucked**. They had messaged back and forth when they could, but the work she was doing was demanding. If she wasn't working she was sleeping. The few times they had managed to Skype, even with the horrible pixelation, he noticed how dark the circles under her eyes were.

"Are you sleeping at all?" He asked and then waited for the delayed response.

"Wha- yeah. Kinda. Not really."

Soul had scolded her (despite the fact that it was almost three in the morning for him and he had work as well but she was on an early dinner break and could finally talk for a bit) and asked if he could do anything to help.

"No, but thank you, Soul. Just miss you a lot." The blurry squares that made up her cheeks turned red.

"Miss you too." It was a simple response and it was true. The office was dull without her and their boss had noticed the drop in his performance without being able to bounce ideas off his partner. His apartment felt all types of wrong and he kept making too much food for dinner. Worst of all, his bed was way too big and way too cold.

But! She was finally coming back! She was coming home! ** _Finally_**.

Soul checked his phone again and the old lady laughed; two minutes had passed.

The sound of a rolling suitcase coming up a ramp and the shuffling of feet had Soul whipping his head around to watch the first few people trickle out. Not Maka, not Maka, businessman, hipster, not Maka, too young, blond but not Maka, too old (unless she'd gone gray in three weeks?), not Maka, not- MAKA.

She looked like shit. Hair limp and pulled into a messy bun, her suit rumpled from the flight and she was scowling at the person in front of her. Soul thought she had never looked better. He waved his arms frantically, grinning from ear to ear, and he could pinpoint the exact moment she saw him. Her face lit up and she _smiled_ , God, Soul loved it when she smiled. Maka was too polite to elbow past everyone to him, but made a great show of rolling her eyes and pouting. He grinned, shrugged and waited.

The man in front of her moved to the side, the planets aligned and Maka surged forward past the crowd. Her suitcase fell to the floor when she barreled into his arms nearly knocking him over. Soul spun awkwardly, laughing for the first time in weeks and holding her off the ground. Maka's arms were around his neck, her fingers digging into his shirt, and giggling wildly. She had missed him so much, the trip and each of its extensions had been hell and god it felt good to be back.

Soul leaned back and kissed her. She was finally home and he was just so _fucking happy_! God he loved this woman, he'd known for a while, but being away from her had really solidified it in his mind. Her lips were soft and it finally clicked in his head that he was  _kissing Maka_. He kind of sucked at remembering that they weren't actually dating.

But she was kissing him back. _She was kissing him back_. And she tasted like mint gum.

Soul held her to him, her feet dangling above the ground while her fingers wove into his hair. He nipped at her lower lip, god damn he had wanted to do that for  _ages_ , and Maka moaned softly and melted completely against him. If he hadn't been holding her, her knees would have given out from under her. It had been so long, she was so tired and the man had stupidly sharp teeth and they felt  _so good._

Clapping startled Soul from tasting just how minty her mouth was and made him pull back to figure out what people were celebrating. Oh, they were,  _oh god they were clapping for them._ Maka came to the same conclusion and hid her face in his neck to try and hide just how red her face was. There was a loud cat call and a few whistles when he set her back down on the ground. His face felt like it was glowing but it didn't stop him from grinning.

The little old lady was smirking at him and someone yelled asking when the wedding was and if they could have an invitation. The small crowd laughed; there were a few more good hearted jeers and whistles before Soul tried to wave them off. A call went up for another kiss and Maka squeaked. Soul caught her eye and could see her blush even harder, even the tips of her ears were red. His grin softened to a smile when she beamed up at him and stood on her tip toes to chastely kiss him again.

He fumbled for a moment to pick up her suitcase, caught her hand with his and wove their fingers together, and they strolled out of the terminal. Soul pointedly didn't look at her because he was pretty sure if he did he was just going to kiss her all over again and that really wasn't going to get them anywhere while they were still at the airport.

Didn't stop him from kissing her in the car though. Or at every red light. Or against his apartment door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAAAAAAAAY
> 
> So from now on I'll state if the drabble takes place Pre-Airport (before) or Post-Airport (after). Hopefully this doesn't confuse too many people.
> 
> Thanks for all the kind reviews so far and your thoughts. These two are such obnoxiously wonderful babies.


	7. Mug Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: HELP I HAVE A PROBLEM AND IT'S CALLED OFFICE BABIES. Big thanks to Eis for drawing them and subsequently inspiring me to write more. I swear to god these two...
> 
> This can either be before of after airport, it hardly matters really.

Most of her mugs are at Soul's but her favorite is at work. It's a pretty little red mug, holds just the right amount of coffee, and she stole it from Soul. He's got her green one and while he gets shit for it from around the office, every time she offers to trade back he gets really defensive about it.

They drink coffee in the morning; Soul likes his black on good days (and with chocolate syrup on bad days). Maka truly prefers cafe au laits (which all the interns know) but settles for the office coffee with as many half and half creamers that she can get away with. She switches to tea after two in the afternoon, otherwise she can't sleep at night (and therefore Soul shouldn't sleep either, he should entertain her instead!). Maka keeps tins of tea hidden amongst all her books, he has no clue how she tells them apart, they all look the same to him even though they hold a variety of teas.

* * *

She's been known to drink diet coke out of her mug as well, which Soul just finds bizarre. Maka claims that because he eats ice cream out of a mug instead of a bowl he can't judge her. The first time he had presented a mug of vanilla ice cream to her while they watched Game of Thrones she had almost refused it.

"A mug? But it's cold."

"So?"

"Ice cream belongs in a bowl."

"But you get the perfect proportion in a mug."

"You are a dork."

"Just! Shut up and take the ice cream, Maka."

He got her back when he realized she drank her soup out of mugs if she had a sandwich as well.

"Wait, so you eat ice cream in a bowl, but have soup in a mug?"

"Only when you make grilled cheese with it!"

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

They went through mugs more quickly than anything else at the apartment. They were constantly taking them out of the dishwasher in the morning to simply wash by hand so they could have their morning coffee. Maka always had her first cup while sitting on the kitchen counter and her second while trying to get dressed. Soul only ever managed one cup in the morning and took his second to work in a travel mug that Maka had bought him after he had come into work with coffee all over his shirt three days in a row.

* * *

Her red mug sat fairly close to his at the back of their desks where they had pushed them together. "Hey Soul?"

"Hm?"

"You want a refill?" Maka clinked her mug to his and smiled.

"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks." He returned her smile and handed the green mug to her.


	8. Overtime Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Meisterful sent me a thing on Tumblr and I just had to write it.
> 
> "Saw this prompt on yeahwrite and immediately thought of office!babies "Write about why your character has to convince his boss that he can't—under any circumstances—come into work that night.""
> 
> Post-Airport

His phone rang, oh dear lord why hadn’t he turned it off, or put it on silent, or thrown it against the wall!? Maka fished it out of his pocket for him, the little tease, and handed it to him with a smirk before going back to _grinding against him_. They’d been watching some movie (he wasn’t actually sure what they had been watching, they may have even forgotten to turn the TV on for all he knew) and Maka had found her way into his lap. It hadn’t really even started out as innocent, she’d forgone even wearing a pair of stolen boxers and was just in her black panties and one of his henely shirts (seriously, she’d brought over most of her clothing but still ended up in his) and she was kissing him like she _wanted something._

“Wait, Ma-Maka! It’s work.”

“I know.” Her grin was downright devious when she leaned forward to scrape her teeth against his neck. “You should get that. Could be important.”

“Fuuuuuu- Evans speaking.” Soul could already tell he was going to regret this (and that it may be the sexiest thing ever).

“We’ve had a setback, Tsugumi _conveniently disappeared_ and we need you in on the Valley project ASAP.” Kid’s voice was borderline frantic. Soul groaned (Maka had also just bit his collarbone), that project was already a month late, he’d advised against Tsugumi being given such a large project but he’d been too busy to take it on himself and the rest of the marketing team were pooling their efforts in a much more intense and important account. “You can tell me your childish _I told you so_ when you get here.”

“Wait. You want me to come in?” Hopefully Kid wasn’t listening too closely, he was having a hard time not panting while Maka ground against him harder. The woman had stupidly perfect hips. Soul placed his hand on her lower back, trying to slow her movements or at least get her to ease up. Instead she took it as encouragement. _Oh god that just wasn’t fair!_ “Kid, look I can’t-“

“Extra vacation day.” Kid bribed.

Maka sighed against the other side of his neck and began to toy with the waistband of his sleeping pants. “Fuh- Kid. I can’t, public transport closes in an hour, I’ll get stranded-“

“So take that monstrous orange motorcycle of yours! Hell, charge a cab to the company card! I cannot get a hold of Tsugumi and this needs to get done!”

Soul shot a look to Maka, who was not at all pleased (finally had him right where she wanted him!), and he felt kind of bad. Maka solved his problem before he could and snatched his phone from his hand, “Kid, Albarn speaking. I need Soul tonight,” she looked him dead in the eye and Soul dropped his head back so the phone wouldn’t pick up the low moan he let out. Fuck this ridiculously sexy woman! “We’re going over some different accounts and time lining our long term projects. We’ll be in early; you know he’s more creative in the morning anyway. Have two pots of coffee ready in the conference room for him as well as something with protein. The Valley project can wait another day, go home and get some rest.”

There was a stunned silence and then a long sigh. “I suppose you’re right Albarn. First thing tomorrow morning then.”

It didn’t dawn on Kid until after Maka had hung up to ask why she was at his place so late.

“You. Are going to be _the death of me._ ” Soul groaned.

“Yeah yeah, now take your shirt off me and carry me to bed. Just saved your ass.” She nipped at his jaw and ground against him again. Her panties were wet enough that the front of his sleeping pants were becoming damp. He didn’t even bother grinning at her, pulled the shirt over her head, _oh god…she wasn’t wearing a bra_ , and grabbed her ass as he stood up to walk to their bed. Maka did grin, wrapped her legs more securely around his waist, and kissed him soundly.

They didn’t actually make it to the bedroom, the wall worked just as well.

Kid had three pots of coffee and an array of breakfast sandwiches waiting for Soul when he came in at seven. Once he was sure that Soul was caught up on the project and brainstorming ideas, he also disappeared to the break room to change his bet on “WHEN THE FUCK ARE MAKA AND SOUL GOING TO GET TOGETHER FINALLY!?” based on the slight bounce to Soul’s step and the vagueness of Soul’s answer as to why Maka had been at his place so late. Because work aside, she’d been there really late and there had been an awful lot of clothing rustling when he had called.

Maka stopped in to see if she could be of any use (she was wearing a scarf, Kid noticed) and stayed for an hour or so bouncing ideas around with Soul. When others started to trickle into the office as the beginning of the work day edged closer, Kid watched the very small and almost completely unnoticeable look they shared and the brush of her fingers across his knuckles before she left to go back to their office.

Kid wondered for a moment if the current office betting pool was actually inaccurate and should be changed to “WHEN THE FUCK ARE MAKA AND SOUL GOING TO GET MARRIED!?”

 

 


	9. Computer Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-Airport

He likes to watch her fix computers. Which is weird, because he never thought it would be sexy. And not like porn sexy, but there is something incredibly hot about how she moves, how her clothing fits, how just— actually he has no clue why. It just is. Maka had explained once that it was something she and her dad used to do together. That was a boner killer if there ever was one, usually, right up until she bent over and he got a perfect view of her ass in the tight gray pencil skirt.

It probably had to do with his fixation on her hands. Watching her tinker with hard drives and RAM, with wires draped around her neck or wrapped around really slender wrists, and bent over the god damn desk so he can see how her bra fits and the curve of her breasts _does really stupid things to his brain (and his dick)._  Or maybe it's just his fixation with Maka in general.

She gets really excited when her new motherboard comes in. Like takes her jacket off, rolls her sleeves up and undoes the top two buttons of her blouse excited. He wondered for a moment if she was actually going to jump him, she was undressing and everything, before his brain caught up. Soul just tries really hard not to groan, but  _fuck_  she's hot.

Her desk is cleared off in a matter of moments, computer perched on top and prepped for operation. Maka had given up on taking her computer to the IT guys, as there was only one tech who had clearance to work on her computer but he was also the network expert so frequently he had other things to do. (Maka was very involved in some top secret projects; Soul was too, but not quite as much). It was easier to fix her own damn computer, and Soul's, if it needed work she could do by herself and she enjoyed doing it.

So did Soul, for an entirely different reason. He wasn't a teenager anymore, popping boners all the time and for stupid reasons was way behind him. Unless it came to Maka. She could have him hard within five minutes, anytime, anywhere, practically effortlessly! There had been one time at his place when she'd been drying dishes in his little kitchen, dancing around in her god damn underwear and one of his tshirts (because it wasn't like she didn't have any of her  _own clothing in his closet and half his dresser_ ) and she had just been so gorgeous, and all he could see was her moving like that under him and before he knew it his sweatpants were tented. Which sucked. Because his options were typically go take a cold shower or take a lukewarm one (god the hot water heater in his building sucked) and beat off.

Or quickly try to will it away before she noticed, that was the most daring and idiotic choice, and frequently what he ended up doing. He had ended up lying face down on the couch (which was really uncomfortable with an erection) and going through as many marketing strategies as he could think of. She hadn't noticed so far and if she ever had, Maka was kind enough not to say anything.

He was so glad they'd opted for the wooden desks instead of the ones with glass surfaces he'd originally wanted. Much harder to hide a boner when you could see through the desk. She had a little computer tool kit that she kept in one of her magic  _there-is-everything-you-will-ever-need-in-the-worl d-within-these-drawers_ of screwdrivers, tweezers, shit he didn't know the name of, and band aids (not just any band aids though, Batman band aids. Because she liked DC, the heathen).

He tried to focus on his own work (god damn advertisements and their shitty color palettes) and not on Maka's hands or the way she liked to hum contentedly when something clicked into place properly. Or her ass, he really needed to not think about her ass when she bent over. Cause that pencil skirt—

Was not what he needed to be thinking about! That gray wasn't even part of the palette he had in front of him. Soul sighed. The first time he had witnessed her fix her computer he had actually had to excuse himself to go splash cold water on his face in the men's bathroom. Soul liked to think he'd built up a tolerance to her, but that was complete bullshit. As happy as computer fixing days made Maka, they really only made him miserable. In a good sort of way.

"Ow! Aw, darn." Maka pulled her hand out of the case and frowned at her pointer finger where she'd cut herself.

"You alright?" Soul asked, trying not to grin; Maka tried so hard not to swear at work and he figured it wasn't a bad injury if she managed to not swear.

She was already pulling out a black and blue band aid with the Bat symbol all over it. "Yes, thank you, loose wire. Aw, this is my last band aid."

"Good, we'll get you some real superhero ones next."

"What do you mean 'real superhero'? Batman is a real superhero!" Maka pouted and then tried to figure out how to unwrap the band aid with bleeding all over it. Soul solved her problem and took it from her to do it himself.

"No, he's a rich dude with a bunch of toys. Nothing super about that." Soul wrapped it around her finger just tightly enough and avoided putting the sticky part on her nail. He brought her finger to his lips and kissed it gently. Watching her blush never failed to make him happy.

"Stop that, someone could see. And Batman is a super hero." Maka scolded and snatched her finger back. "A better superhero than, oh, I don't know, Antman?"

"Hey! Don't bring Hank into this!"

Maka laughed at how affronted he looked, "Oh sorry, didn't know you were on a first name basis with a man who talks to insects and shrinks."

It was Soul's turn to pout. "Aw, shut up. He becomes giant too."

"Mhm, through the help of his  _expensive_  toys. Oh! And guess who else is only a super hero because of his toys? A certain  _genius playboy billionaire_ -" She smirked when Soul started to sputter trying to cut her off before sitting back down in a huff.

"Touché. But we're still getting you different band aids." He was sulking and he didn't even care.

"So long as they aren't Hello Kitty." Maka flashed him a smile and went back to work installing her new hardware and Soul went back to trying to ignore her installing her new hardware.


	10. Elevator Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late Birthday pressy for Scar. cause yes  
> post-airport

"OH FUCKING HELL NO!" Soul cringed while Maka kicked at the elevator door and continued to yell. "WE WERE GOING TO GO HOME AND FUCKING SLEEP! WHAT THE-"

"Maka."

"ACTUAL FUCK!? OH SURE! I SEE HOW IT IS!"

"Maka."

"WE STAY LATE TO DO OUT GOD DAMN JOBS AND THIS IS HOW WE'RE REPAID!? CHICKEN SHIT!"

"Maka."

"I WANT A FUCKING RAISE AND NEW ELEVATORS!"

"Maka."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT, SOUL!?" Her hair was disheveled, her entire chest was flush with anger (it was amazing just how much more skin was revealed when she undid just one button like that), and Maka looked ready to kill him. "I swear to GOD if you tell me to _calm down_ , I will shove my-"

He kissed her. Partially to distract her from whatever horrifying torture she'd just thought of but mostly just to amuse himself, as they were stuck in an elevator, after hours, and the night guard was notorious for sleeping on the job. Not that there was even a camera in the elevator. And it was slightly better than having her blow his eardrums out. Well, okay, a lot better.

Soul loved, absolutely  _loved_  kissing her. The way she moved, the little sounds she made, how she felt, how she tasted. Fuck, he'd been kissing her for months now and wasn't sure he was ever going to get tired of it. And tonight, Maka was so pissed off at this turn of events that she was vicious. Relentless and harsh, her hands pulled on his hair or dug into his back, demanding that he keep kissing her while she worked her mouth over his. It had been a long day and Soul was so exhausted it was hard to keep up with her, right up until one of her hands let go of the back of his neck to unzip his slacks.

He broke the kiss with a groan and threw his head back when she started to suck on his neck while rubbing his cock. Soul hasn't really expected this, maybe a nice make out in the elevator sliding down to the floor for a quick nap, but this? This a much better way to spend the time. " _Haa fuck_ , Maka, hang on," He was already half hard from her attention (the woman knew how to do terribly wonderful things to his neck with her tongue) and her hand in his pants. "You're overdressed." The grin he shot her sent shivers up and down her spine.

Buttons were quickly undone and Soul took great pleasure in sliding the zipper of her skirt down as slowly as he could, much to her annoyance. She got his jacket off, shirt untucked and pants unbuttoned before he distracted her by sliding his hand into her green panties. Maka let herself be backed up against the cold metal of the elevator door and gasped. It was Soul's turn to mark her neck while he toyed with her clit until she was arching up into him and moving herself against his hand.

His pants were around his ankles, shirt unbuttoned but mostly still on, and boring blue striped boxers tented while her skirt was caught on one of her heels, blouse hanging off one arm, her bra miraculously still in place (he'd have to fix that) and her panties almost soaked through. "Oh god, Soul, fuckfuck _fuck! Stop teasing and_  fuck! Me!"

Well, when she asks so nicely, who is he to say no? Pulling her down to the floor meant taking his hand out of her panties, which did not make her happy in the slightest, even when he started to graze his teeth over her breasts, but she was kind enough to reach into her bag for a condom and rip it open, but made him roll it on.

" _Soul hurry_!" He's trying, damn it! She's fucking distracting when she's fingering herself and he still has to take off his  _god damn boxers_! Soon as it's on, Soul doesn't even bother to take her panties off (not that Maka would have the patience for it anyway right now) just pushes the useless (and totally soaked) fabric to the side and guides her down over him. Slouched against the wall with his legs in a jumble and spread out in front of him, Maka was straddling his hips on her knees and lowering herself down and  _fuuuuuuuuuck_.

He'd like a moment to just sit there and enjoy how fucking perfect being stuck in an elevator can apparently be, but Maka is impatient and moving.  _Oh fuck,_  she's rocking and grinding and Soul's hands find her hips to help her. "God damn! Maka-aah!" is all he can choke out, her hands cupping his face, lips against his while moaning her pleasure into his mouth.

"More! Soul, _more_!" The words are wet from her lips to his and she's desperate. Work had been so hectic for so long, they haven't been able to do anything in bed except sleep, they'd both been stressed, at their wit's end, and this was exactly what they both needed. Even if doing it in an elevator was less than ideal, it felt good enough that Maka didn't even care. He grunted, worked more to meet her each time she moved against him, and sat up to bite at her collarbones.

Her moan was totally worth the effort. Maka slid the hand that wasn't buried in his hair down his shoulder and chest, lightly scraping her nails across the entire length and then moving to play with herself while they fucked. "Right there! Just like that, god, Soul! Fuck!" She was so close, any moment, anything, she just needed-

"Come, Maka.  _Come_." Soul's lips grazed her ear while the rough moan of her name finally sent Maka reeling into her orgasm. She slumped against him, quivering and moaning his name while he continued to thrust into her. It only took him a moment before he lost himself as well; Maka's head was on his shoulder, her breath fanning out over his chest, and he could feel her hand trapped between them still. Chest heaving for breath, trying to figure out which way was the floor because he spine was going to quit on him pretty soon, and he was completely exhausted, but very pleased.

The only thing that could make this better would be if they could collapse into bed. But no, still stuck in an elevator and mostly naked (but it was still pretty good though, really). "Fucking a, Soul. What the fuck even?"

"I dunno, you tell me, Miss-I'm-Going-To-Strip-You-and-Fuck-You-in-an-Ele vator." Talking took a lot more effort than he was expecting and his voice felt hoarse.

"Oh. Fuck. We're still in the elevator." Maka didn't bother to move her head from where she was resting against him. "Should probably put my skirt back on."

"Might be a good idea. And my pants." Soul groaned, moving was just too much to effort to even think about. Maka didn't seem too enthused to move either and Soul found himself drifting off against the elevator wall.

Right up until there was a buzzing sound and the elevator started to move which caused Soul and Maka both to make a mad scramble to become decent.


	11. Ring Shenanigans

“Come on, it’s not like you’re doing anything today!” Maka whined while tugging on his arm. 

“No that’s exactly what I’m doing today: nothing!” Soul groaned when she finally pulled him off the couch and onto the floor where he stayed in a heap. “Makaaaaaaa, it’s Saturday! We never do anything on Saturdays!”

She started to tug him towards the door and wished she’d put shoes on, her socks kept slipping on the hardwood floor. “I’ll buy you one of those cinnamon bun monstrosities you drool all over! Come onnnnn!" 

"Fine, but I get to pick what we watch tonight too." 

Maka grunted when she fell on her ass in front of him. "Deal, now let's go, Soul. I've been meaning to get a new chain for this pendant for ages."

They took his bike to the jewelry store (after Soul had stuffed Maka into the leather jacket he had bought for her birthday and a helmet), one of the nice places that wasn’t in the mall, like the really nice places that you actually kind of dressed up to go to even though you pretended like you didn't. Just for that, Soul had made sure to throw on his distressed jeans, totally worth the frown he got from the doorman, and from Maka for the matter. But her attention was quickly captured by all the sparklies. 

She was an incredibly practical woman, especially when it came to jewelry. She had several fancy pieces that were kept in the small safe under their bed (she had had them hidden in her sock drawer at her apartment), a demure collection of pearls, and a decent array of simple everyday earrings and necklaces to wear to work. Soul knew all this because it was typically spread out all over the top of his dresser in a glittery shiny mess. 

Didn't stop her from drooling all over the tiaras, diamond rings and cuff bracelet things that would go halfway up her arm if she tried them on, though. There was a continuous chorus of Oh! Soul look! and Oh my god, it's gorgeous! as she moved from case to case. He followed her, shaking his head and offering snarky remarks when, No, Maka, that is hideously gaudy or Oh hell no, that's just ugly. They played this game until she found the section with necklace chains and Maka straightened up and got slightly more serious. 

They found exactly what she wanted within twenty minutes (thank god, Soul was really looking forward to stopping and getting that cinnamon roll he'd been promised) and were on their way out to pay when Maka spotted rings she hadn't already drooled over. 

"One more case, please? You can pick two movies tonight!" Maka bargained and tried for her best puppy eyes (which always fucking worked) and managed a pout as well.

"Fiiiiiine.” Soul tried to feign annoyance but he was already planning which horror movies would be the best to get her snuggled up next to him. 

These rings were at least simple, but incredibly elegant. "Oooh! Is there anything I can help the happy couple with? Looking for a little certain something?" The employee who had materialized out of thin air and way too much cologne clapped merrily and beamed at them. Maka began to stutter but Soul spoke before she could actually finish any of the three sentences she had started. 

"I'm not sure, were there any you wanted to try on, dear?" Soul grinned at her. 

Maka glared at him and then smirked. "That one please?" It was the widest, most diamond-encrusted ring he had ever seen and, Soul had a sinking feeling that while it looked silver in color, it was probably platinum. 

"Ooooh what a good choice! Your lady has an exquisite taste!" The associate, Randy, slipped the ring onto Maka's finger, where it promptly turned over and slid off. "Oh too large, such delicate fingers, do you want a different size, honey?"

"Ah, no, but thank you-"

"Any of the others? Anything else?" Randy pleaded. Maka tried to back up but ran into Soul's chest. 

"Wait, you liked this one didn't you?" Soul pointed to one of the more simplistic rings, it was very thin with a band of maybe white gold? maybe platinum? and two tiny bands of textured gold on either side of it. He'd noticed Maka eyeing it more than any of the others. 

"I really couldn't, darling-"

"Oh very good choice, sir! That ring may even be the right size. Here." Randy handed it to Soul who gently took Maka's hand and slid it onto her ring finger. It should have startled him how easy it was to believe that this was real, but it felt natural, and the ring looked like it belonged on her hand. "Oh my goodness! Now isn't that just perfect!" 

Soul watched Maka look at her hand but couldn't read her face. She obviously loved the ring and it fit her, but he couldn't quite tell what else she was thinking. Which was unusual; he knew her well enough he could always read even her smallest expressions. "It's beautiful, but maybe not today." She bit her lip and worked it back over her knuckle to hand back to Randy. "I'm going to go pay." Maka said quietly without looking at him. 

Randy tilted his head to the side, "Now just what was that all about?"

"Not...actually sure. But put that in a box for me?" Soul cringed when Randy squealed, "Discreetly! Please? Can I pay here so it stays a surprise? Thanks." 

It only took a moment and Maka was still in line for one of the other registers where her chain was waiting to be paid for. She had perked right back up and was begrudgingly ready to go buy Soul a cinnamon roll (more like a heart attack covered in mystery white sugary substance, not that that stopped her from stealing bites every now and then). Soul realized belatedly and most of the way through the pastry that he had just bought Maka a ring and promptly began to choke. He was going to die, choking on a cinnamon roll, with a ring in his pocket for the love of his life, who he had never even kissed. 

Not really the best way to go. Luckily, Maka took to thwacking his back with great enthusiasm and he lived (to hold onto the ring and fear proposing and even just kissing her) another day.


	12. Sick Shenanigans

She was buried under a mountain of blankets, just north of the river of used tissues and west of the land the bedside table littered in mugs of lukewarm tea. Soul was somewhere next to her, because she could feel him shivering despite his own nest of blankets (she was pretty sure that every single blanket in the apartment was currently on the bed). 

"Hey, Soul?" Her voice was hoarse and stuffed up. She felt like shit and was pretty sure Soul was even worse off. The poor guy hadn't been able to leave the bed in almost two days (except to go puke, thank god he was past that part), but no matter how much he tried to sleep, he never felt well rested. He was achy and stiff, had had a persistent headache, and Maka couldn't remember the last time he had eaten something. Or the last time she had eaten something. 

"Mmmmrgh?" 

Eloquent as always. Maka would have rolled her eyes, but even they ached. "How are you doing?" 

He shifted, possibly rolled over, and then stuck his head out from under at least three blankets to glare at her. And the bastard, despite greasy hair, blood shot eyes, and flushed face, was still handsome. Asshole. 

"How do you think-" Cough. Hack. Miserable groan. "I'm doing? Just take me out back and shoot meeeeee." He whined. 

Maka wanted to stroke his hair or at least pat his cheek, but her arm felt too heavy to move. "Wanna hear a joke?" she asked. 

Soul's eyebrows started to do funny things while he tried to figure out if she was serious or not. "Sure?" he croaked. 

"How do you have a party in space?"

His eyebrows furrowed together, "How?"

"You planet. Get it? Cause plan-"

"Yeah. Got it. Oh god, you just. Really. Popsicle stick jokes? Is that what our lives have come to?"

"Shut up. It's a good joke." Maka started to cough and Soul groaned. 

-

It was a few hours later after a restless nap that Soul woke up ravenous. Like could eat a horse, an entire buffet, and then probably still eat enough to win a pie-eating competition. He wanted a five course meal, steak, some good sushi, maybe some asparagus, and god the thought of dessert had him drooling. He decided that soup was probably his best bet though. Chicken noodle soup. From a can. Well, the salt would taste good. 

Maka was curled up in a miserable little ball next to him, sniffling instead of her cute little snores. Yes, even her snoring was cute. He debated waking her up to ask if she was hungry but thought better of it. 

Getting out of bed was an ordeal, but totally worth it when he changed into new sleeping pants and a clean sweatshirt he'd hidden from his live-in clothes thief. It actually felt kinda good to be up and about. Kinda. Eh, not really actually, he was sore all over. 

He always had a few emergency cans of soup in the backs of his cupboards for occasions just like this. And stockpiles of bland crackers. And, oh. Oh, he had Gatorade. He had Gatorade! They were saved! God, why hadn't he thought of that sooner? Well, probably because it was part of his emergency hangover stash. 

But, breaking into a bottle was one of the most satisfying things he'd done in a long time. It only took a few minutes to heat up the soup and he made toast with butter too. Which he promptly ate and then had to make more. God, toast tasted good, like perfection and heaven and everything good in the world. 

Soul dished the soup into two bowls, garnished with spoons and toast on the side and piled everything onto a tray that someone had given him for some holiday. Obviously they hadn't known him that well, because this was the first time he'd ever actually used it. He brought it into the bedroom, carefully, really slowly, and oh god do not drop it on the bed! 

"Hey, Maka?" Nothing. "Maka." Not even a grunt. "Maka, the contract you wrote is void." She shot up, wild eyed, listing extra clauses, revisions, and something about red velvet cake. 

“Soul? What on earth?” 

“I have soup? And toast? You hungry?” He stood awkwardly with a tray of food, not really sure if he could even call it breakfast in bed (what the fuck time was it anyway?) and not really sure where to even put it. 

“You have toast?”

“And soup.” He reminded while trying to simultaneously juggle the tray and clear off some of the used tissues on his night stand. 

Maka helped solve his dilemma by pushing everything onto the floor and stealing a bowl of soup. “You are my favorite person ever.” 

Soul couldn’t help but smile, as this was the most lively they had been since he was throwing up and she only had a slight cold. It was good to see her sitting up and munching happily on toast. Hell, it was nice to actually just sit in bed and eat soup instead of being curled into a miserable shivering ball. 

They ate their whatever-the-fuck-time-it-was meal quietly and decided to worry about dishes later without a word spoken. Soul yawned, tired, but a different tired from holy shit I am so fucking ill I want to die, more of a huh, sleep sounds really nice. Maka seemed to be in the same boat and nodded happily after putting her plate down on top of her box of tissues. She lay down closer to him than she had in days, and Soul wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

They were going to be just fine.


	13. Desk Shenanigans

Maka sat at her desk half asleep. Her internal clock was wrong, backwards, and possibly definitely upside down. Her stomach certainly was. Soul had actually had to help her sit up to drink her first cup of coffee (he made it with too much milk, just how she liked it, such a good man) and had tried to convince her that taking a day off after all the traveling and being abroad for almost a month was an okay thing to do. It still wasn't, in her book, so a full pot of coffee later (and maybe a bit of sugar, as in a lot of sugar and a scary amount of milk) and a shower, and she was half awake and somehow at the office. Maka wasn't actually sure how they had managed to get there. 

"Will you at least let me take you home early? Like it's great and all to have you back, but... Maka are you even awake?"

Maka mumbled something that sounded vaguely like "international business law" and "no more tiramisu" while she stared at her screen blankly. 

"...I'm going to go get some more coffee." While she hadn't perked up at all, Maka handed her mug over. Soul did a quick check; their door was closed and the blinds were drawn over the window that looked into their office, before stooping down to peck her on the lips. It made him stupidly happy that he could do that now. Maka looked confused, like she wasn't sure of what had just happened and Soul shook his head. She never handled jetlag very well. 

"Wait." Maka blinked a few times before turning around to look at him. "You just...kissed me? That happened?" 

Soul stood by the door, perplexed. Should he not have done that? Was that not actually a thing he could do now? "Yeah?" 

Her eyes grew huge. "Wait. Wait, wait, and the airport?"

"What about the airport, Maka?" He was really worried now, for a multitude of reasons. 

"That happened?! You kissed me! Oh my god, that actually happened." She looked away from him finally processing that he really had kissed her and that it hadn't all just been another amazing dream. 

"Maka, are you okay? Do you want me to call and ambul- wait no, sit down, you're-" Soul was cut off rather forcefully by her lips on his and her hands feathering along his jawline and neck. Kissing her and being kissed by her was still a very novel experience.

"I'd thought it was too good to be true," she mumbled against his lips. "Thought it was just some dream I had."

"Been dreaming about me kissing you a lot, huh?" Soul chuckled, so she nipped at his lip in retaliation. His hands were still holding the coffee mugs, but he did his best to wrap his arms around her. 

Maka pushed against him until Soul's back hit the closed door. "Been dreaming about a lot more than just kissing you." She'd never had much of a filter when she was tired, and she was so tired of waiting for this. She tasted his groan more than she heard it, and Soul finally let the mugs fall on to the carpet to grab her and pull her flush to him. 

"Good, me too," he said before really kissing her. Maka whimpered when he licked at her lips, and she grasped at the back of his neck, desperate to taste him. She leaned heavily on him, standing on her toes, but Soul solved the problem with his hands on her ass and pulling her up against him. Her toes barely brushed the ground, but it was so much easier to kiss him and run her tongue against his, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to help hold herself up. 

They broke apart panting but Soul didn't give her a moment before he was kissing and marking her neck. Her low moan made him shiver and grind their hips together, which earned him another moan. He kissed as far down as her shirt allowed and then back up to just behind her ear. "Fuh- fuck, Soul." Maka was writhing against him, but she needed more than leaning against the door was allowing them. "Desk," she managed to ground out despite his teeth on her skin. 

He managed to get off the door and walk forward until the backs of her thighs hit her desk, and Maka blindly pushed everything off so she could lie down and pull Soul with her. Oh, oh this was infinitely better; his weight pressing down on her, her hands were free to clutch at his shoulders and back, and she had enough leverage to really grind against him. His hands were gripping her waist, her hips, and god yes her breasts too. It took a bit of shimmying, not that Soul seemed to mind, to get her skirt far enough up her thighs so she could wrap her legs around his waist and really grind against him, Soul really didn't seem to mind that at all. 

"Haa fuck, Maka, Maka-" he wasn't pleading (except he kind of was). She had his belt undone and his pants unbuttoned before he could really remember what else he was going to say. Instead Soul worked on attempting to unbutton her shirt so he could finally see how her breasts would feel in his mouth. Maka was having fun massaging him through the front of his boxers and feeling him pant against her ear, but she would truly prefer to be kissing him again, please and thank you. 

It was easy to drag him back down for another kiss, and she didn't even care how sloppy it was, he was already hard as fuck for her and had worked his hand into her shirt to play with her tits. "Need you, need you so bad," she gasped when he pinched and rolled her nipple. "Please, Soul, fuck me!" 

It took him a half second longer than it should have for her words to really sink in. It took him even longer to really understand and process that, Maka Albarn, Head Bitch In Charge, Badass Lawyer, and love of his fucking life, wanted this just as badly as he did. With one hand on the back of her neck, he crashed their lips together, and shoved his boxers down with the other. He caught her moan in his mouth when he moved her (soaked! totally soaked!) panties to the side and rubbed himself against her. Oh fuuuuuck, hot and wet and god fucking damn it.   
"Co-condom. Fuck, Maka, condom." 

"S'fine, Soul, please, please!" She bucked under him, fingers in his hair and pulling him close. 

That, he understood immediately. He lined himself up and sank into her slowly, unable to even moan. Maka's back was arched high off her desk, her legs dragging him forward, biting her own lip to keep from screaming in pleasure. Fuck, fuck everything, his brain was melted, his dick was melted, and he was going to die a very happy man in like two minutes. No, no, scratch that. He could die a very happy man right after he made Maka come, that was even more important. 

Right after he made Maka come. 

Soul shivered. He was actually going to get to watch Maka come. Because he made her. Because they- "Soul! Move!" Oh hell yes. 

God he felt good, so much better than her fingers, so much better than she had even imagined, if he would only fucking move. Warm and hard, god she hasn't felt this good in years. He filled her in a way she had never found, but that was probably just because she loved him so much. "Please? Soul?" 

It was the breathless whisper of his name that really got Soul going. He dragged her back until she was just at the edge of the desk and he could pull back and thrust forward, much to their mutual delight. He braced himself with one hand and had the other on her waist, clutching at her skin and holding her close. Maka's hands were in his hair again, tugging when he got too far away. He tried to keep as steady a pace as he could manage, but she kept panting and moaning and moving under him.

Fuck everything. He wasn't going to last very long, this was too good, she was too hot, and fuuuuuuck. Soul moved the hand he had on her waist to play with her clit, hoping to at least get her off before he completely lost his cool. He cradled the back of her head with his other hand and pressed as close as he could to her; he needed to feel as much of her as he could, to hold her and just love her. "Maka, fu-fuck, Maka, come. Come for me?" He mouthed the words right to her lips and it was all she needed. She kissed him, it was all she could do, it was all that was left for her and she loved it. Maka came hard, breathless, and without a sound. But watching her? Watching her come undone? Feeling her tense up underneath him, around him was too much. 

Soul managed one last hard thrust and muffled his shout against her neck. It took a lot to remain upright while he sighed his release against her skin, his heart feeling like it was going to beat right out of his chest, cause wow. They both hissed when he pulled back, but it wasn't exactly comfortable to cuddle on a desk like that (Soul was just surprised he remembered how to let go of her, he'd just really like to melt and maybe take a quick nap between her breasts and listen to her heart beat). 

But they were on a desk. In their office. Maka seemed to reach the same conclusion when she sat up. They were still at work. 

"...We're going to clean up, walk out of here like everything is normal, you're going to go tell Kid you're taking me home because I'm too jet lagged to function. Then we're going to go back home and do that again. With less clothing." Soul nodded dumbly and helped her off the desk. Maka quickly tugged her skirt back down while Soul fixed his pants. They were very careful to not make eye contact, but Soul couldn't help but admire his handiwork on her neck and Maka finally let herself stare at his ass, not caring if she got caught. 

Maka was quite pleased with her plan. Couldn't really bring herself to care that they had finally gotten on the same page even if it meant fucking at work. Cause really, what was an office romance without a little desk sex? 

Though Maka was also really excited to strip him down and fuck him properly in their bed. And then maybe a nap afterwards. Oh yes, she quite liked this plan.


	14. Family Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre Airport

The first time it happens was by weird circumstance.

"Uh, Mr. Evans just stepped out for a second, this is Maka Albarn-"

"Woah, wait really?! Even better! This is Soul's brother! Wes! I don't know if he's told you much about me or how I got all the looks in the family. But he's been awfully close-lipped about you! You two dating?"

Maka was still stretched awkwardly over her desk and Soul's to reach the phone. Normally she would have never answered, but their answering machines were on the fritz and he had just stepped out to get them more coffee. She realized she hadn't answered the (dreaded but all too common) question.

"Ah, no. We aren't?" Way to go Maka, add a nice little inflection at the end and make it sound like a question.

"Yeah sure you aren't. Well, whatever you're calling it these days, he better be treating you right. And same goes for you actually! He's a sensitive guy, my little bro. Heart's easily broken. This one time in like fourth grade I stepped on his favorite toy robot and the poor guy crieeeeeed! Oh god, it was bad. Mum had to get him a new one and even then it just wasn't the same he said! Oh and then in college he was totally hellbent that he'd found the girl of his dreams. Like gonna marry her, have kids, white picket fence and a dog type deal. Even brought her home for Thanksgiving! Well turns out she was more turned on by all the money and was kinda sleeping with two other guys. Yeah that sucked. Oh! And this other time..."

Soul walked back into the office, two steaming mugs of coffee in hand, to catch Maka's horrified look at being caught still stretched over their desks and on the phone with his brother. "Uhhhh Soul just got back here, it was um, nice to talk to you!" She stole her mug back and shoved the phone in his hand and mouthed it's your brother to him.

He looked at the phone in his hand and then at the base and contemplated just hanging up. Against his better judgment, he found himself bringing the receiver to his head. "Wes?"

"Dude! She sounds hot! Is she hot? Last update I got was that life sucked less and you and the bitch were getting a new office, 'cept you two seem pretty chummy now, eh?!"

"Shut the fuck up! Wes, that isn't! I can't! Would you just?!"

"So she's got the legs huh? You always said you were a boob guy but I always knew it was the legs."

Maka wasn't sure what Wes had just said but Soul's face was a very interesting shade of scarlet. " Do you fucking mind?! I'm at work!"

"Yeah, so you probably shouldn't be swearing."

Soul fell back into his chair and shot Maka a desperate look. She shrugged and sipped at her coffee, still trying to picture a little Soul playing with toy robots. Maybe Wes would have pictures he wouldn't mind sharing...

"What do you want, Wes?" He ground out.

"Oh you know, just to say hi, check in, make sure you're still alive, you know how our mother likes to worry."

"And?"

"Aaaaaand see if you had any intention of actually coming home for the holidays, maybe with a plus one? Eeeeh?"

"Wes you know I really can't-"

"Sure you can! One week! The world will not stop turning! You've missed Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for the last three years! Do you know what that has done to our Italian mother?! You know how she is about us and food! Soul, you gotta come home for at least one of them this year, otherwise I've heard from a good source that she'll be bringing the food to you. The source is our mother. She told me. Her. In your apartment. Cooking. Do you even own a spatula?"

"Oh god, she wouldn't." Soul ignored the comment about his kitchen lacking, he actually had a pretty nice set up. Maka liked it at least.

"She would, she can, and you know she will. Your choice. Bring Maka! I wanna meet her!"

What was even more fascinating than watching Soul blush was watching the color drain from his face until he was as white as his hair.

"No."

"Which means you'll think about it."

"No, Wes-"

"I'll tell Ma you have a pretty little girlfriend and that you're holding out on grandkids."

"You fucking wouldn't."

"Try me, little brother. So! Thanksgiving?"

"...Christmas."

"Even better! We get to do presents! Tell Maka I can't wait to meet her! Bye!"

The strangled noise Soul made startled her so badly, coffee sloshed out of her mug, but Wes had already hung up.

"I hate my fucking life!"

Maka just shot him a look while she mopped up the spilled coffee with a tissue.

The second time it happened she wasn't really thinking.

She'd been watching TV while Soul took a quick shower and her phone started to ring. Except, it was Soul's. Getting the same model phone had both been genius and supremely idiotic at the same time. On one hand it made it really easy to help each other, but it was also confusing as hell sometimes when they grabbed each other's phone.

"Albarn speaking."

"Oh, hey Maka! You sure you and Soul aren't dating? Cause it's way past business hours or even casual ooh we just were out getting drinks!"

Well shit.

"Speaking of which, knowing my brother he totally hasn't mentioned Christmas to you right?"

"Uhhh-" Damn her lack of eloquence when talking to this man!

"Yeah, didn't think so. Surprise! You're spending Christmas with the Evans family! It'll be fun! We do presents and a feast, got a couple fun traditions. You'll see! Assuming you can come, right?"

Historically Christmas was not much fun in her house, and she had assumed that her dad would be working like he typically did (being a detective sucked sometimes), her mother would be god knows where, and so she realized she'd only expected to have a nice little Christmas with Soul...for the first time...in the apartment... But she supposed going with him to see his family would be better than spending it alone watching his apartment.

"Yes?"

"Fantastic! Oh awesome, this is gonna make my mother's entire year!"

She heard the bathroom door and started to panic. What if Soul didn't want her at his family's Christmas party? What if that was why he hadn't invited her. "Are you sure this is okay!?" There was an edge of panic in her voice. She really was just Soul's coworker nothing more! Though the fact that she was in his boxers and waiting to go to bed in his bed said differently. Wes didn't have to know that though.

"Oh yeah! No, it's totally cool." Oh god, he really was Soul's brother. "Mum's gonna love you and you know, Soul's going to appreciate having you there. Even if he doesn't say it." There was a certain amount of seriousness in Wes' voice that she hadn't been expecting.

"We really aren't dating though."

"So? You're still his friend right? That's what matters, isn't it?" There was a pause and then he teased, "His special little girlfriend!"

Maka sighed, "I'll make sure it's okay with him, thank you for the invitation, Wes. Have to go now before he figures out who I'm on the phone with and has a heart attack." Wes laughed hysterically until she finally hung up on him. Soul joined her a minute later and was surprised when she flopped over against him and buried her face in his shirt. Maka thought about bringing it up, but he was really warm and smelled really good and their show was on. She'd talk to him about it later.

The third was kind of accidentally on purpose.

She later blamed it on being half asleep and only one coffee in but she was also quite curious when Wes had called Soul on Skype. It was early Sunday morning, they had woken up all tangled together (she could practically still feel his hand on her back from where it had snuck under her sleep shirt and the way his scruff felt on the pads of her fingers) and once again Maka had to remember that he wasn't actually her boyfriend.

They had managed to get out of bed, both quietly disappointed they couldn't just stay like that, and Soul announced that he was going to go get the morning paper (he liked the funny section, Maka liked the crossword puzzle) and some breakfast (meaning a bagel with lox for him and a butterscotch scone for her) from the corner store.

And so Maka found herself on his couch curled up under the throw blanket reading blogs online with her first cup of coffee. When the music first started to play, she had glanced at the tabs trying to find where it was coming from. Then finally the Skype call bubble appeared with a picture that looked an awfully lot like Soul.

She clicked video call before she realized what she'd just done. Her hair was up in a messy bun, she was not in an appropriate state of dress to be skyping with her coworker's brother, and she hadn't even finished her first cup of coffee! But the video flickered to life, the camera adjusted to the lightning and she was looking at another Soul. Except...not.

Wes' hair was slightly tamer, his face just a little narrower and his jaw wasn't quite as strong as his little brother's. He was by all means still quite handsome, just...not Maka's type (and her type was Soul). "Uuuuh."

"Maka? Well, course it's you you're dating my brother and on his computer, who else would you be? Yo! Okay, now you really can't even try to pretend that you and my brother totally aren't doing whatever you're doing. Damn, I'm surprised you don't have any hickies! Is he losing his touch? Come on! You can't let the passion go so soon! I can give him a few pointers if you want. Know a few good tricks myself."

"We aren't! I just sleep- slept! I just slept over...late night working." God her face was red in the little video of herself.

"Uuuh huh, suuure. Late night working, is that what you kids are calling it these days? I really can't keep up with you youngings" He grinned and oh god, they had the same grin. The exact same. She was not caffeinated enough for this.

"No, Wes, I swear we aren't!"

"Yeah suuuure, whatever you say, sister-in-law." Maka tried to reason with herself that she was a powerful business woman and that squeaking and hiding under her blanket was inappropriate. Not that it stopped her from squeaking and hiding under her blanket while Wes laughed at her. "Awwww, look at you! No wonder he loves you! You're precious!"

"Stop! We aren't! I'm not! I am not precious!" She popped out from under the blanket to glare at the computer screen. Never had Maka been so flustered in her life.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever you say. God, Mum is going to love you. Be prepared to have your cheeks pinched. She does that sometimes. She can't help herself. But you are allowed to laugh when she does it to Soul. I do, it's pretty cute."

"I still haven't asked Soul."

"What, to marry you? Come on, girl! Get on that! You seem like a strong, empowered, feminist! He'll totally say yes!" Maka wasn't going to lie, she had considered it.

"About Christmas, you dolt!" Well, calling him names wasn't the most professional or even mature thing but she wasn't properly awake yet.

"Oh. Do that too then. And then ask him to marry you! Ohhhh, if you want you can do it at the party! It'll be super romantic and Mum will totally freak."

"I am not asking Soul to marry me at your family's Christmas party." Maka said as slowly and evenly as she could.

"You aren't?" The voice didn't come from the computer. That voice hadn't come from Wes. It came from Soul who was standing in the doorway looking at her very confused.

So Maka did what any responsible, powerful business professional, empowered feminist would do. She squeaked and hid under her blanket again while Wes cackled and Soul tried to process what was happening.

"Way to go little brother! Ruin your big Christmas surprise!" Wes called from the computer between bouts of laughter.

Soul made a strangled noise and rushed to the computer, "Wes!? What the fuck, dude!?"

Which just made Wes laugh harder. Right until Soul snapped the computer shut and practically threw it to the ground.

Wes continue to cackle in his apartment.

He'd call Soul and apologize for scaring Maka so badly in a few days. Assuming it was actually Soul who picked up. He snickered at that. Christmas with those two was going to be fun.

The rest of the morning was spent awkwardly trying to coax Maka out from under the blanket with more coffee and the butterscotch scone Soul had got her.


	15. Winter Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> post airport

He was acting so weird.

He had been for days now. Maka chalked up it to the change in the weather; it had gone from perfectly nice to fucking cold overnight and they were already anticipating a blizzard. Or maybe it was more stress from work; the end of the quarter and the end of the year reviews were coming up, and Soul had a shit ton still to do (mainly the board meeting where he was going to negotiate next year's budget. So much fun.) He'd gone on a quick two day business trip as well, but no one could tell her what it was for or even which account needed him, and when he came back he was acting even stranger than before. Or maybe it was just the holidays. But she wasn't quite sure why he would be stressing about them.

Soul hadn't shot her a goofy grin in days and it was starting to get to her. He was in zombie mode: running on coffee, tuna salad sandwiches (Maka had no clue how he managed to stomach them), and snickers bars. Every time she had tried to ask about it though he'd brushed her off.

Maka was pretty sure that he wasn't sleeping either. He always came to bed after her and she always woke up alone.

She missed him.

"Soul?" She asked while sitting on the kitchen counter one morning, and while it probably wasn't fair to jump this on him before he'd had his first full cup of coffee (hell she was only halfway through hers) but the lack of caffeine sometimes allowed for tired admissions. He grunted and stared at his coffee. "Are we okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"That wasn't what I asked." She put her mug down and jumped off the counter to stand in front of him.

"What?" He was looking right at her but he wasn't seeing her at all. Maka bit the inside of her cheek to give herself something to focus on other than how much everything else hurt.

She muttered that it was nothing and that it didn't matter while she walked to their room to get dressed for the day.

Soul realized three sips too late what had just happened.

They worked just like always, except without the banter, the smiles, the laughter... actually they weren't working just like always. Soul was silent, not cracking jokes, no snark, no nothing. And so Maka was too.

It kind of sucked tapping away at her computer and reading files quietly. It kind of sucked a lot.

Hell, Maka wasn't even sure how she'd done this for so long without going insane before she had met Soul. But nope, there he was sitting across from her and being...not himself. If she were younger, Maka had no doubt that she would have grabbed him by his collar, shoved him against a wall and demanded to know just what the fuck his problem was?! Not that she was a coward now, but she liked to think she had more tact.

Didn't make her feel much better though.

It started to snow sometime after lunch, gentle flakes that managed to collect on the ground and coat everything in white. The gray skies only got darker and the snow fall heavier as the day went on. Hopefully it wouldn't interfere with their commute home. Not that it had felt like much of a home for the last few weeks.

She was done at four. Completely done. Done with work. Done with Soul. Done with the day.

"I'm heading out. See you back," Maka paused as she got up from her chair. "See you back at the apartment." She swung her coat on, nodded without looking at Soul, and was out the door before he could say anything. It took a lot to ignore the scrambling she could hear from their office and even more to ignore how he called for her to hold the elevator. Too bad she was focusing very intently on which bottle of wine she was planning on buying from the liquor store by their apartment.

There wasn't anyone else in the elevator and Maka let herself slump against the wall as soon as the doors dinged shut. Twenty six floors flew by (god, had those elevator upgrades been worth the three weeks of long as waits and taking the stairs) and Maka heard more than felt her heels clicking across the polished stone of the building's lobby after the doors dinged open. The courtyard outside was frosted in three inches of snow.

Maybe splurging on a cab home instead of hiking through the snow to the subway would be worth not freezing her toes off. Her black coat only went down to her knees and her tights were doing absolutely nothing to keep her legs warm. It wasn't really like walking into a wall of cold, but it sank slowly through her gloves and jacket and pricked at her legs. As much as she wanted to take a cab, Maka knew she'd never actually let herself.

"Maka, wait!"

On second thought, those elevator upgrades totally hadn't been worth it. Fuck, he had caught up to her quickly.

Soul's breath hung in the air between them. "Look, fuck, Maka I'm so sorry. I've been such an ass these past few days-"

"Try weeks! What on earth has been up with you?!" Maka finally burst out. She was so completely and utterly done with beating around the bush and trying to play nice.

"I'm getting there! I...this has sucked. Big time, for both of us. I know, fuck, I know."

"Soul...Soul, are you?" Maka couldn't even ask the question. She stood, snow collecting on her shoulders and her scarf suddenly suffocating, terrified.

Maka watched Soul steel himself and she prepared for the worst.

She was not expecting him to drop down to one knee in the snow or pull a little box from his pocket.

"Maka, will you marry me? Please?" His hand was trembling and she caught the flash of silver - no, white gold - but all she could see was his face. She felt sick. Giddy, and sick and cold and elated and she was crying apparently, when had that happened? "I love you. I'm sorry, I just, I went and saw your dad and he gave me a lot to think about, but if you'll have me, I want to spend the rest of my life with yo-"

"Yes!" Was that her voice? It was definitely her answer, she knew he loved her and cut off his ramblings (something he only did when super nervous). She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him too. She wanted to marry him. Her hands were covering her mouth, the leather cold against her lips and the tears freezing on her face. But she couldn't feel any of it, only the warmth of his eyes and smile and the pounding of her runaway heart.

Soul reached for her hand and gently took off her glove to slip the ring on. It was the same one she had admired and tried on with him at the jewelry store months ago and somehow that made her love him even more. It was perfect. Simple and perfect and a wedding band, not actually an engagement ring. A giggle bubbled from her lips when he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Dear god, did she love this stupid wonderful man still kneeling in the snow in front of her.

Maka pulled him up to his feet so she could kiss him full on the mouth, her gloved hand clutching his jacket and her other hand (with a ring!) wound into his hair. His thumbs wiped away her tears and held her close as he kissed her desperately.

When they parted for air, chests heaving and white breaths mingling, Maka laughed again. "This is a wedding band, Soul. Engagement rings are supposed to be sparkly."

She couldn't tell if his flush was from embarrassment or the cold, but his grin told her that it didn't really matter. "Just- say yes, and I'll buy you the biggest sparkly you want, Maka." And for that she kissed him again.

They did end up splurging on a cab home.

And they missed the engagement party the office threw for them the next day because they were too busy in bed admiring how pretty Maka looked in nothing but her ring to come in for work.

Eh, more cake for the office and they got to dole out the winnings of the betting pool without issue (and somehow despite placing a bet on himself, Soul still managed to lose). The whole office had gotten to see the proposal as soon as Patti, the youngest and most tenacious sales rep, had noticed the two of them standing in the snowy courtyard she had called everyone over to the windows to watch the great office romance unfold. It was a lot more wholesome than other types of office gossip. Thank god they were so high up because the cheer from the office was pretty loud though.

The CEO ended up winning. Again.


	16. Poinsettia Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post Airport (and winter)

Their office was covered in poinsettias. Like, covered.

At first Maka had thought it was sweet. She put the first one on her desk, the second on the floor between their desks so that people would see it when they walked in, the third in the window, but by the fourth even she was dismayed. And they kept coming.

Every account and business they had worked with seemed to have decided that they were only going to send Soul and Maka poinsettias as thank yous for their hard work throughout the year and to wish them happy holidays. The three flower delivery places knew them after a week and they were on a first name basis with the delivery people.

And they were still bringing multiple plants a day.

They were drowning in a sea of red dotted with the occasional white. They could no longer hold meetings in their office and they were pretty sure they were going to have to abandon ship and give up their office to the damn things. Even the narrow pathways they’d been trying to conserve were slowly being filled in. Maka hadn’t been able to get to her shelving unit with her tea and books in two weeks and all Soul could do was stare longingly at his whiteboard. 

"They must have been on sale…" Maka muttered while she tried to find any amount of unused horizontal surface for one of the new ones.

"Soul? Why is that one…pink?" He’d been staring, horrified, at the pink poinsettia taking up his chair.

"It’s from ‘my dearest friend, we should get drinks soon….lots of love…..Gloria’… Oh my god I’m going to be sick, I think that’s a lipstick mark.”

"Oh hush, we only have today and then we’re on vacation." 

Soul took a second to groan and then frantically tried to get the offending pink plant off of his chair so he could finally sit down. “I swear to god, it’s gonna like eat me or something. Where the fuck am I gonna put this!?” 

"I think there’s some room over….never mind. I think…oh, nope, not there either."

"I’m going to go give this to Patti, she’ll like it." 

"She’s out."

"…Liz?" 

"Nope, gone as well, remember? That trip to the Bahamas with Kid that no one is supposed to know about?" Maka made her way over to the small area of clear space that her chair lived in and what was left of her desk while Soul held the monstrosity at arms length and sat heavily in his chair. 

"Fuck. Forgot about that. Patti kind of sucked at keeping that secret. Why are we even here? No one else is!" He glared at her, but the effect was mostly lost as she could only see half his face over the poinsettia.   
Maka smiled and looked down at her hand and caught the glint of her ring. “Because we took a few too many days off earlier.” 

Soul didn’t even fight the grin that broke across his face; she looked beautiful among all the red leaves. “Okay, worth it.” 

It took her a second to compose herself and she shuffled papers trying to avoid becoming too giddy. “When did you have the time to buy it anyway? I’m impressed that you remembered that I liked this one.” 

"I got it while we were there," he replied without really thinking about it.  
"But we haven’t been to that store since, god, since I bought that chain for my necklace?"

"Yeah. I got it after you tried it on and it fit. You’d left me alone with that salesman to go pay or something." Soul was still staring intently at the gift from his dear friend trying to figure out how to get rid of it.

Meanwhile Maka stared at her ring. “Soul, you…we weren’t even dating then?!” Her face felt as red as the poinsettias.

"…..fuck."

It wasn’t as if he was trying to hide that from her (they kind of knew just about everything about each other) but the fact that he had impulsively bought a ring for her before they had even discussed dating was a little weird. “I just. You liked it! I wasn’t or I hadn’t been thinking..well I had, but aww fuck me…it had felt right. I dunno.” He was tempted to try and bury his face in the poinsettia he was holding, but he was kind of wary that it might try to make out with him.

"You…you’re too much." Maka was staring at him so openly in love that he was glad hardly anyone else in the office was around to see her. This was special; no one else really got to see her let go and be herself.  
"Maka? Are…are you crying?!" Soul dropped the pink poinsettia and picked his way over to her side of the desk as quickly as he could without stepping on one of the damn plants. "Hey, look, I’m sorry, it was impulsive but I just thought-"

Her mouth was soft over his, but insistent, and her fingers were gentle on his face. The angle wasn’t great and it was hard to keep himself from trembling as he held himself up.

She was usually so eloquent, so well spoken, poetic even! But Maka couldn’t find a single word to tell her fiance just how much she loved him. Soul was also at a loss for words but that was mostly because he was busy working his tongue against hers.

He broke the kiss to kneel down in front of her, her knees lightly pressing against his chest, and her hands buried in his hair. There was still the occasional tear that slipped from her eyes, but Soul did his best to wipe them away with his thumbs.

Her shaky hiccup made them both jump and laugh at themselves. “God you’re tiny, Maka. I’m kneeling and I’m still almost as tall as you.” She ruffled his hair playful and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Soul."

It was only three words, but he knew. It was why he had bought the ring for her.

"You’re welcome, Maka."


	17. Burger Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to be way out of order from here on out! This is pretty far in the future considering we haven't even seen the wedding yet. Or some of the other stuff I have planned. 
> 
> Enjoy!

 

"Hey, Soul?"

"Yeah?" He stuck his head out of the kitchen, only half paying attention really. The cheese was just beginning to melt on the burgers but if he didn’t take them out of the pan and put them on the buns they’d burn and the smoke alarm would go off, and it would just be a shit show. 

"How do you feel about kids?" Maka was laying on her side on the couch, not really watching TV, it was a rerun anyway, mostly just thinking and looking at the rings on her finger. They’d been married for a while now, but it was still new enough that it gave her butterflies when she thought of it and she still got mail addressed to Maka Albarn instead of Maka Evans. 

"Kids are cool." The burgers were done so Soul lifted the first one out of the pan and put it on the bun for Maka, honey mustard, mayo, tomato, lettuce, and no pickles. His was barbecue sauce, lettuce, onions, and some red chili flakes cause he could. "I used to teach piano lessons back in college for beer money." 

"Wait, really?" She sat up to make room for him on the couch and crossed her legs under her when he brought their burgers over. "Those smell amazing. You forgot your salad though, burger looks lonely." 

Her husband snorted, “there’s lettuce in the burger, that counts.” His plate was considerably less fully than hers with the spinach salad he’d thrown next to the burger. 

Maka squished the top of her bun down and grinned, Soul made the best homemade burgers. “So you like kids?” she asked before taking a big bite. 

His mouth was already full so he nodded, chewed, and then swallowed. “I mean, yeah.” 

"Soooul. Do you want kids?" 

He froze, burger just in front of his wide open mouth, and looked at her from out of the corner of his eye. “Uh…yeah, actually. Three, two boys and a girl.” 

"Oh. Wow." Apparently he’d thought this through. 

"Shit, do you not want kids? You are kinda the one having them and-"

She waved her hand and nibbled on the side of her burger before answering, “no, I do want kids. I just hadn’t expected you to have a number and know the genders!” Three kids though, light hair, green or red eyes running around and laughing, the thought alone made her smile. “If we have a daughter, she is going to have you wrapped around her little finger from day one.” 

He nodded sagely, “that’s the point,” and took another bite of his dinner. 

"Let’s start with one, see how we do, and then figure out if we can handle more," Maka said while watching Soul’s expression. 

The grin he gave her was completely perverted, “when ya thinkin’ about starting?” She rolled her eyes and swatted his thigh with the back of her hand. “Ow! Damn woman. Really though, sooner or later?” 

"Sooner," Maka tried to keep from smiling too broadly, "In like eight months?" Soul cocked his head at her and put his burger down. She now had his undivided attention. "I’m pregnant."

Soul blinked, once, then twice, sitting back against the couch and staring at one of the bookcases Maka had brought over when she officially moved in. Her heart sank. They hadn’t spoken at all about kids, not until now, hell they were usually so good about protection! She’d been surprised when she missed her period, went to the doctor when she thought something was off and it turned out she was pregnant. 

She’d been so excited! There were reservations of course, but, she was happily married to a wonderful man, a very successful career, and she’d thought that they might be ready. Even it if was sort of unexpected, it wasn’t like her own parents who’d been so young and rushed to get married. After a lot of thought she could almost pinpoint the exact night when they’d run out of condoms but she’d thought it would be fine. Apparently it hadn’t.

And Soul was still staring off into space. 

"I…if we aren’t ready, we can look at our options. But, I had thought…" 

Her words were completely lost on him. His mind kept repeating over and over again that Maka was pregnant. A baby. A little baby. Her little baby. His little baby! Their little baby! 

"Adoption, but it would have to be closed." Maka was nearly in tears, she’d wanted this baby, wanted a family with him. "I just-" 

She couldn’t talk any more, Soul was kissing her. Hands cupping her face so he could ravish her. Soul kissed her until she was breathless and pliant against him. “A baby? Our own little baby?” He rested his forehead against hers, still holding her face in his hands. Maka nodded, biting her lip, but Soul was peppering her face with little kisses. 

Maka finally started to cry, much to Soul’s horror. “No! No crying! Oh god, Maka!?” Her hands wrapped over his and she shook her head, somewhere between confused and relieved. “I want this! I want a family! With you! A baby!” He kisses her again unable to contain himself. “Oh god, Maka, my amazing, beautiful, incredible wife! A baby!” His smile was contagious and she finally relaxed against him. 

But he was sinking off the couch so kneel on the floor in front of her, his hands now on her waist and her still flat belly. “Soul?” She threaded her hands through his hair questioning why he wasn’t holding her on the couch. The kiss he placed to her stomach felt muted through the tshirt she was wearing but it made her start crying all over again. He smiled up at her, his thumbs stroking her sides.

"I love you so much, Maka." She kissed him, it was the only thing she could do. Soul couldn’t stop smiling, not even when she tugged on his hair to get him back on the couch with her. "Love you so so much, fuck I love you-" Even when she kissed him he kept professing his undying love for her which made her giggle until she was nearly hiding against him and laughing. "Mrs. Evans, I love you. I love you and this baby." 

"Hush Soul! I love you too!" 

"No! You don’t understand! I love you!" He was so eager, pulling her into his lap, kissing her and trying to talk, and trying to kiss her and trying to tell her how much he loved her. 

She finally pressed both her hands over his mouth and giggled at the way she could still feel him smiling. “Yes. I understand. I love you too. And I’m so glad.” Soul just grinned, kissed her palm, and mumbled that he loved her again. “Our dinner is cold.”

"Don’t care, happy." 

In the end they did finish their dinner and broke out the ice cream and Soul even made his famous hot fudge sauce. 

Life was good.

Right until Maka had her first ultrasound and they found out they were having twins. Then it was really good. 


	18. Dancing Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-Airport

 

There were already a bottle and a half of wine in, watching something awful like Dancing with the Stars while waiting for Maka’s crime/romance/quirky cop drama to start when she mentioned that she didn’t know how to waltz.

"I mean, I used to dance on my dad’s feet, but what kid doesn’t do that. But actual dancing?" She stuck her tongue out, blowing a raspberry that made Soul snort. But after watching some poor professional dancer get her toes stepped on by the over enthusiastic spray tan orange reality TV star for another three minutes he shoved the coffee table with their Chinese take out and wine comparison remnants away from the couch, taking care not to spill the wine still left.

"I’ll teach you." He got to his feet, wobbled (damn that pinot noir had been good), and finished moving the coffee table out of the way. There was a pretty good amount of space between the couch and the TV, though eeeh…yeah, he pushed the couch back and laughed when Maka squeaked. There. Dancefloor complete.

"What are you doooooooing?" Maka whined and flailed her legs around trying to smack him. For once! She was in leggings and not his boxers but she had still managed to steal one of the ratty sweaters (god where had she even found that one? That was from like college era hipstershit phase) he kept around and a T-shirt. 

He snagged one of her feet and tickled the bottom of her foot. She shrieked, laughing manically and desperately wiggling to get away.”Teaching you to dance- oof oh my god.” Yup, okay, that just missed crotch, note to self: do not tickle Maka. Her heel dug into his thigh, using him as leverage to try and pull her captive foot away from his terribly,awful, who even tickles people?!, fingers. Soul let her foot go and laughed when she curled up into a ball and glared at him from over her knees.

"Mean."

"Brace yourself: tickle fingers are coming."

"Fire cannot kill a dragon!"

"Ha! You don’t even like hot coffee, more like lukewarm if that."

Maka pouted; along with an absurd amount of milk, the interns knew to order her cafe au lait at exactly 147 degrees Fahrenheit. She was very peculiar! And when she ordered it herself she always tipped well.

"Didn’t you say something about dancing?" Yes subject change. Wait no. Bad subject change. The TV applauded something and Soul smiled at her.

"Yeah, so up off the couch Kahleesi."

"I am never going to live that down am I?" She took Soul’s offered hand and let him pull her to her feet. They’d been tired, grabbing a burger after work, and Maka had ordered their food under the name Danny. Which made them both laugh hysterically. He pulled too hard and Maka was a little too warm and fuzzy feeling from all the wine and she tripped right into him, smooshing her nose right into his chest.

He tried to stifle his laughter but lost it when she reached up to rub her stinging nose. Maka glared at him over her hand, “I will step on your toes so hard.”

"You’re barefoot, even if you try it won’t hurt."

"Don’t make me get my heels."

"You wouldn’t. That blister on the back of your heel is still raw." He was adjusting her in front of him, pulling her hand from her face and putting it on his shoulder while his hand rested lightly on her waist. Maka tried to ignore just how well he read her and how how pleased it made her. She played with a loose thread from his tshirt; the fabric was soft and warm from his skin.

"It’d be worth it." There was no real malice in her voice and it only served to make Soul grin.

"Yeah, uh huh. Okay, so you can count right?" Maka shot him a scathing look, "don’t give me The Glare, that isn’t cool. Just trying to teach you how to dance. Uh, just follow me?"

They stumbled around the room, stubbing their toes against each other, knocking their hips together, and leaning on each other laughing so hard Maka started to cry at one point. It wasn’t the elegant waltz his mother had made him learn as a boy, hell Soul wasn’t even sure it could be considered dancing but it was the most fun he’d ever had.

Maka stopped, staggered out of his arms (he wasn’t sure why he let her go) and poured them both a very generous amount of wine, insisting she’d be more graceful if she had more booze and maybe couldn’t feel her toes. “Floating! I’ll float and you glide, and we’ll dance!” She looked him in the eye as she clinked her glass against his, and well, it made sense when she put it like that.

They stood watching the people on TV twirl across the screen in a flash of sequins and stage makeup until they had both drained their glasses. Soul smirked and bowed to Maka, huh, well she was probably just red and flushed from all the wine. Her courtesy was more sideways and cute than refined and polite, but her smile was the only thing that mattered to Soul.

His fingers were too warm and he was really holding her closer than strictly necessary (or even appropriate) for a waltz, but if he were following the rules he’d have to move her hand from the back of his neck to his shoulder and untwine their fingers. Things he just really didn’t feel like doing.

Maka let her head rest on his chest, lightly at first and then heavily. They swayed around the room, not really dancing or gliding or floating, but moving together lost in their own world. She could fall asleep like this, his head resting on hers, listening to his heartbeat, warm and safe and loved.

…In a purely platonic and professional way of course.

Maka felt an intense hatred for words that began with ‘p’ in that moment. Fuck ‘p’ words.

"Bedtime?" Soul asked quietly. He was falling asleep standing up and was pretty sure Maka was too.

"Yes, good words start with B’s." She looked up at him. "Or S’s.  I like S’s." Subtle, stubble, shoulders, section, sex, silk, statements, Soul. Maka listed them off in her her head while Soul just watched her stare into space.

"…bedtime." He lead her towards the room, still holding her hand. She nestled in without much prompting and barely seemed to notice when he left to go turn off the TV. There wasn’t much clean up to do, Soul put the left over take out in the fridge and oh…they had finished all the wine. No wonder he felt as warm as he did.

He staggered back to the bedroom and was met with a pair of green eyes looking at him. “You left?”

"Back now. Tidied up."

"Missed you." She watched him as he climbed into bed after pulling back the covers. 

"I was only gone a moment." He said, reaching out to brush a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. Yeah, wow had he had a little too much to drink. 

She leaned into his hand and scooted closer to his side of the bed. “Felt longer.”

"Wasn’t, promise." Maka had stopped just shy of snuggling into his chest, so he fixed that and pulled her close. "Like dancing with you."

She gave a sleepy smile and murmured a little, “me too,” into his chest.

Nights like this were the best, falling asleep together, pretending and ignoring and maybe believing a little.

Mornings were usually great…when they weren’t both hung over as fuck.

Soul deeply regretted not closing ever curtain he owned and walked around squinting and wincing each time he had to close another one. Maka was frowning at the coffee maker when it gurgled too loudly. She presented him with a mug, a fist full of pills, nodded, and sat down heavily on the couch nursing her own coffee.

He turned the TV on and they both jumped at the suddenly very loud commercial and very bright screen. Maka groaned an licked coffee from her hand while Soul frantically tried to turn the volume down. Eventually, when it was damn near silent, and they were tired of watching the news (terror here! Sadness there! Oh look a fireman rescued a kitten! Awww.) they settled on a Saturday morning cartoon block with animated characters  with weird hair playing a children’s card game with far more drama and enthusiasm than strictly necessary.

They took turns getting water for each other and if that wasn’t the sweetest thing he didn’t know what was. 


	19. Note Shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre and Post Airport.
> 
> HUGE thank you to Eis, this was her idea. She sent me a prompt about a year ago asking for Soul leaving notes in books that Maka would read. I finally got around to writing it cause I loved loved loved the idea. And then it came to me, that oh, the office babies would do nicely for this. 
> 
> So enjoy!

In which his hand writing suggests he should have been a doctor and she feels a little bit like a CIA TV show character trying to break the code to solve the mystery to save the people so the world doesn’t end. All before the last five minutes of the show to gaurantee she gets her few moments of sexual tension with her hot partner. 

 

She’s going through her reference books trying to find the exact clause about a void contract versus voiding a contract when she finds the first note. It’s on the back of a business card for an engineering firm and at first she thinks she must have used it as a bookmark and simply forgotten about it. Checking the back to see if she’d written any notes about the company or maybe the clause she’s looking for in the book instead she see’s her partner’s chicken scratch handwriting. 

There are a few musical notes doodled along the bottom and maybe lyrics above it? “You should have been a doctor; your handwriting is perfect for it,” Maka says to his empty chair. He’s in a meeting right now and isn’t sure when it’s going to get out. There had been talk about ordering lunch, which made him groan because he hates when his lunch break is interrupted.

It takes her a few moments to decipher what he’s written and she feels a little bit like a code breaker from a crime drama. If she doesn’t decode this message lives will be in danger, national secrets will be lost, she won’t find her attractive partner in time to have their five minutes of sexual tension before the episode ends! Maka giggles to herself and finally figures out that the way Soul writes his r’s, u’s, and v’s are almost identical as well as his h’s and l’s.  

_figure out melody, play softer? v. important. she’ll smile during this part._

Oh. Well that doesn’t really clear anything up. Soul was obviously referring to the scattered notes along the bottom (Maka wasn’t even going to attempt to deal with that), but who was he referring to? Maybe Soul had meant to write he? As in Wes? They would call each other from time to time and talk about music. Maybe this was something for him? Or maybe Soul meant his mother. That would make sense. 

Mystery solved to her satisfaction (cue end credits and roll theme music) Maka leans forward and stands the card up on his keyboard with the writing facing out so he’ll see it when he gets back. 

By the time Soul comes back and slumps in his chair it’s well after lunch time and nearly time for them to head home (damn it, his place, not theirs). Maka smiles at him and motions to the little business card, “found that in one of my books, I think it’s nice that you’re composing something for your mom. I must have picked it up at one point without thinking and used it as a bookmark, sorry.” 

He makes his typical puzzled face (Maka really tries hard not to call grown men cute, but damn it he’s adorable when he makes that face) and picks up the card. “My mum? I…oh.” The tips of his ears go red and he stuffs the card into his wallet. 

"We don’t have anything set for dinner, want to pick up some take out on our way back?"

"Yeah, pizza or we could try that new Thai place?" He offers while rubbing his hand over his face. 

They debate take out choices all the way out of the office until Maka finally drags him into their go to Chinese takeout place. 

She forgets about the business card with the little notes and terrible hand writing until she finds another one tucked away in one of her favorite books at their apartment (not just his! Theirs!). Most of the boxes she had moved from her apartment to his when she officially moved in (they celebrated with Chinese take out and their feet propped up on boxes as they watched Game of Thrones that night) were books. Maka protested that it was kitchenware as well but Soul just gave her a flat look because he knew better. 

They hadn’t been able to unpack all of her books right away because Soul didn’t have the self space. Maka had all sorts of grand plans for the bookcases she wanted to buy, making a nook for her reading chair (the nice leather armchair she’d stolen from him), or a small loft space (one thing she loved about his apartment was the high ceilings and the natural light), or one of those storage unit headboards that really just became a wall of shelves (it’d be perfect for all of his knickknacks and all of her books!). 

Soul drew the line there, he liked their bedroom as it was. Simple, uncomplicated, and clean. The bedroom was for sleeping. And sex. 

Not all of the books ever published. 

The compromise was two huge bookcases on either side of the TV, which she was currently filling with her books from her old apartment and from around Soul’s apartment. She’d been dutifully organizing them by favorites and genres when a scrap of paper fell out of The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Maka left it for a moment, it was probably just something she’d used as a bookmark and left in by accident. She finished the shelf and then picked it up, turning it over to check if it was important. 

There was writing on it…and it wasn’t hers. Maka found herself smiling, god Soul’s handwriting sucked. Well, she could use a break from unpacking and deciphering whatever was scribbled on it would be perfect. She tucked herself into her spot on the couch (because yes while she had her reading chair she also had her spot on the couch that Soul was not allowed to steal damn it!) and turned the note this way and that until she was actually sure she was even holding it right way up. 

_You were curled on the couch the other day reading a book, and I’m a fucking sap, but the sun was on you and it just hit me how beautiful you are._

Maka squeaked and juggled the card for a moment. This…had to be from Soul. She really hoped it was from Soul because otherwise there was a super creepy stalker who was not only watching her read but was also leaving notes in her books. But it was his hand writing. And it had to be from him. The only couch she had curled up in the past like…two years? was probably his. 

God damn it she was curled up on his couch right now. 

The man in question was currently grocery shopping and probably wouldn’t be back for another forty minutes depending on traffic. Hopefully he remembered the garlic powder, she wasn’t sure they were going to last another week without a new jar.

She’d ask him about the note when he got back. 

She forgot to ask him about the note when he got back.

It wasn’t really that she forgot about the note, it was more that Soul had forgotten the garlic powder, but had gotten the makings for one of her favorite Italian dishes, and the best death by chocolate type ice cream money could by. So he was forgiven for the lack of garlic powder. 

There were more notes that she found, sometimes several in a week (depending on how many books she was going through) or sometimes she wouldn’t find a single note for months. 

Some of them were sweet. 

_I love when you smile, at anything really, but especially when you smile at me._

Some of them were obviously written after he’d had a bit too much to drink. 

_I really like your ass._

Some of them made her giggle, he could be so blunt and ridiculous, and she loved him for it.

_hey remember when i proposed to you (the first time, in the snow)? i was so fucking scared and i couldn’t feel my toes_

She thought about asking him why he was writing them, or if he wanted her to say something. But at the same time it was kind of nice, they always made her day when she found one. 

During one of their rare fights (little things piling up into a big thing), Maka was curled up in her chair while Soul was taking out his frustration in the kitchen probably making some overly complicated and time intensive recipe (onion soup and homemade bread were his go to’s). She was rereading A Song of Fire and Ice just so she could one up him later with facts while they watched the show when yet another note fell out of the book.

_I wonder if you’re tired of hearing it yet, but I love you._

And damn him, not only could she not remember why she was mad at him, now she was crying because this stupid man was wonderful. She stomped into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his middle, hugging him from behind and getting tears all over his shirt, the little note still in her hands. He sighed, stopped whatever he’d been doing on the counter and placed one of his arms over hers.

"I love you too." Maka flicked the scrap of paper out to show it to him.

"I know, sorry. Love you too." Soul turned around and leaned back against the counter, letting his arms encircle her shoulders. "I’d been wondering if you were finding those or not."

Maka sniffed and thumped his chest, “course I have. I love them. Your handwriting sucks though.” Her little giggle made him grin and press his lips to her temple.

"Come on, that’s like half the fun of them."

"You try figure out what drunk you wrote."

"Ha! Okay fair, drunk me doesn’t hide them very well, but I can never find them again before you do, huh? Cause I remember some of them are pretty dumb."

"I like your ass," Maka offered helpfully.

"Eh, that one’s true." He dropped one of his arms to give her a light squeeze to prove his point.

And just like that their argument was forgotten, they’d have delicious homemade bread and soup for dinner, and life was good again.

"…Soul, did you just get flour all over my butt?"

Well, okay fine, next load laundry was his job. (Worth it.)


End file.
